Dedication : A Mother's and Father's Day Story
by Sailor Silver Ladybug
Summary: Holiday Series: Book 5. A missing child sends Chibi-Usa and her friends back into the past on a rescue mission. They soon realize it will be impossible to find one missing girl amongst the thousands being stolen by Queen Badiane who wants to put them into an eternal dream. Usagi, Mamoru, and their friends rush to save the children, but it might be too late.
1. Prologue

**Author's Note:** My readers have spoken! You asked for the side story to be Super S: Black Dream Hole, and here you have it, with an incredible twist that had me up all night planning. I am so excited to share this story with you.

* * *

**Dedication: A Mother's and Father's Day Story**  
**Holiday Series: Book Five**  
**Prologue**

* * *

_***Minato-Asahi's POV***_

Just over a thousand years after the Battle of Nemesis, in a small room inside the Palace nestled in a park in Crystal Tokyo, a young boy watched in sadness as a green haired woman wept, clutching tightly to a small red blanket covered in embroidered suns and hourglasses. She rocked forward and back in the wooden rocking chair where she had once nursed her youngest child.

Asahi's heart hurt. He wanted to find the baby as much as her mother did. He stood just inside the door, unsure how he could help. Mothers around the galaxy were being celebrated, but Setsuna was sad. One of her children, the youngest, was missing.

Heliodor. She had been taken more than six months before. Not only was she Setsuna and Haruki's daughter, but also his soulmate. He had met her less than an hour after her birth, and had held her more than even her brothers and sisters. Now he was sad, thinking about what was happening to her, and where she was. Did she remember her family? Did she know she was loved?

Stepping forward slowly and cautiously, Asahi reached out and put a hand on Setsuna's shoulder. She was like an aunt to him, though technically they weren't related. She and the other heroes who had long fought alongside his parents were very close, and all the children ran and played together. It helped to have others like themselves. They even attended schools together, now that they were getting older.

Setsuna looked up and gave him a little smile. "You miss her too?" she asked, though he knew she was already aware of the answer.

"I'm going to find her," he promised. "I won't give up. Not ever."

"I know little one," Setsuna said, pulling him into her lap. "I know you will." When she said it, her words really did sound like the truth. She was the Guardian of Time after all, and that made a lot of sense. Maybe she did know. Maybe she knew something that he didn't.

When Auntie Sets was busy rocking him back and forth, he reached down and stole one of her keys. She had five of them, and they were all golden and pretty. But he needed one now. It was time. He didn't know how he knew. But he did. He had to go.

Giving her one last hug, he slipped off her lap and out the door, running as fast as he could to a little garden seldom used by anyone other than himself and the other children. He didn't speak to anyone, or ask for help. He knew it was time to go. He couldn't wait anymore.

Holding up the key, he whispered the words he had heard so many times before. "**_Guardian of time! Tear apart the sky and open the Door of Space-time to me! I call your true name, the almighty god of time, the guardian of time's father, Chronos! Guidance to me! Protection to me! The path of light to me!"_**

Asahi didn't see little Mako racing towards him. There was a rush of light and sound and he felt himself being pulled fast into a chaos of noise and wind. His clothing whipped around him and he bit his lip in fear. It was very scary and he didn't like it. But he had to save Heliodor. He had to find her.

Suddenly he heard a scream and saw Mako. She didn't have a key! He reached out and took her hand, wrapping both his arms around her as she screamed and screamed in his ear. He threw all of his heart and mind and everything he had into appearing on Mother's Day, shortly after the Battle of Nemesis a thousand years before. He held Mako tight, determined to keep her safe, and let the winds of time take them both into the past.

* * *

_***Future Setsuna's POV***_

With a sigh, Setsuna stood from her perch in the rocking chair. Her heart was heavy with grief. She had already missed so much of Heliodor's life. It was an awful burden. She wished Time worked differently. It was very likely she already had the answers to when and where her daughter was, but the memory wouldn't come until it was time. Even she was not immune to the protections Father Chronos had put on the Time Door.

As soon as little Asahi bolted out of the chamber a memory hit her like a wave and she knew he would be going into the past. A sigh escaped and she hurried to where the king and queen were surrounded by their own children. The little ones had been making cards for their mothers all week. She had four of them herself, and though one of her children was missing, she still had the others to love and protect.

"Majesty," she whispered, leaning close to Usagi. She went by Serenity in public, but to Setsuna she would always be little Usagi with the bright eyes and brighter heart.

"What is it Sets? Are you alright?"

"I am. Asahi has gone."

"Gone? Where?" Minako said, rushing over. "Is he okay? Where is he?"

"He's gone into the past to look for Heliodor. As soon as he left the room I remembered he had stolen my key. There's something else," she added, looking around the room.

The other adults were all gathering closer around her now, and she winced when she heard Nephrite's frantic voice calling for little Mako.

"She was accidentally pulled into the past with him," Setsuna confirmed. "They'll go straight to our past selves. He's very smart about that. But we need to send Chibi-Usa and Chibi-Mamo to him."

"And me!" Tentomushi cried. "I promised too!"

"Yes," Queen Serenity said, grabbing her little hand. "You can go too," she said softly, kneeling. "But I have a memory of my own," she added. "Something I've known about for a very long time. Can you keep a secret?"

Tentomushi nodded her head, her eyes serious. The queen knelt down and whispered something in her ear before pulling her into a huge hug.

"I'll remember!" Tentomushi said, and hugged her hard. Then she was pulling away. "Where's my bug ball?" she asked.

"Here!" King Endymion strode forward with a small round ball designed to look like a ladybug. Setsuna had helped Ami and Zoicite in their creation. Each child had their own, each specific to their needs.

Chibi-Usa and Chibi-Mamo moved forward and took their little sister's hands. "We'll protect her," they promised in unison.

"Be safe my loves," Serenity said, kissing each child on the forehead.

"We will. Love you!" Chibi-Usa said, her eyes bright with excitement. To the kids it seemed a great adventure, going into the past. The adults knew just how dangerous a time they were preparing to enter.

"Protect one another. Remember we love you," said the king.

"We will dad," Chibi-Mamo said. He took the key Setsuna held out to him and spoke the words. The adults pulled the other children back, not willing to risk any being caught and dragged into the winds of time.


	2. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: **There are some things discussed that may have happened in Books One-Four, so if you haven't had a chance to read those, you might want to!

* * *

**Dedication: A Mother's and Father's Day Story**  
**Holiday Series: Book Five**  
**Chapter One**

* * *

_***Usagi's POV***_

Sailor Moon swiftly tore off her tiara and launched it across the open field, striking the target. It wasn't fully charged, but even so, the little stuffed anime doll exploded into pieces, white beads of soft material falling in a thick rush while the lower half of the doll floated in the air, emptied and nearly weightless.

"Nice job," Mars said, coming up behind her. "You rarely use that anymore but it looks like you haven't gotten rusty.

"You never know when it will come in handy," she answered, blushing slightly at the compliment.

Jupiter looked impressed. "Next time I see Asanuma we have to convince him to play Frisbee."

"Isn't that a bit like cheating?" East Night said, nudging her gently.

"Neph!" Jupiter laughed. "I just want to see the look on his face. Besides, the skill is hers. She earned it."

"Be careful!" Tuxedo Kamen hissed. "Remember what I said about using names." He looked over to the side of the field. Sailor Moon followed his gaze to where several people were holding up cell phones and taking video.

"Again?" Sailor Moon growled. "Come on. We have to get out of here."

Before they could depart there was a nearby screech of tires. "Sailor Moon! Sailor Moon!"

"Tuxedo Kamen!"

"Do you have any comment about..." she didn't hear the rest as Tuxedo Kamen grabbed her and teleported away before she could even think about answering.

They appeared in the meeting room, where a place had been set aside for teleportation. They quickly moved out of the way so the others could get there. She sighed, frustrated. It had been the third interrupted training session in less than a week. The time that had passed since the 'Battle of Nemesis,' had been frustrating to say the least. With no monsters to fight the press thought it was their duty isntead to tell them everything about themselves.

Releasing her henshin, Usagi waited in Mamoru's arms. The others appeared in twos and threes until the meeting room was full.

"This is getting ridiculous," Kunzite said after he let his own transformation go. "We can't go anywhere to practice anymore."

"We have options," Usagi said, using the same argument she had several times before. "We could go to the Moon, to Elysion."

"We can't be away in Elysion if someone decides to attack," Rei said, a stance she had taken from the very beginning of their press problem.

"What about the Moon?" Usagi asked. "It's been restored. We could go to the old practice fields."

"The gravity is different there," Minako argued. "I know it's under the shield, but even so you know there is a difference."

"Maybe we should take to the rooftops," Mamoru suggested. "I know they found us the one time, but we got in a good twenty minutes first."

"We could use the field behind the Jinja," Zoicite suggested.

"I worry about using the Jinja," Jadeite added. "With Grandfather there, and we stay there with Takeo sometimes..." he trailed off. "I just don't know if it's safe."

Usagi sighed. These were all the same arguments they'd had already. There had to be somewhere they could go. Settling into one of the chairs in along the long table, she folded her arms and rested her head. The whole argument was ridiculous. No matter where they went on Earth they would be found. It had to be Elysion or the Moon.

"Lets try the Jinja," Rei said softly. "It couldn't hurt, and we can just tell Grandfather to be careful what he says."

Usagi didn't like it. Yuichiro and Aika, the priest and priestess in training, probably already knew their secret and hadn't told anyone, but that didn't mean they couldn't be hounded and coerced. There were some who were very against the Senshi, and while she understood that people feared anyone who had power, but they'd given assurances that they were only trying to help. Not that it seemed to matter.

"Ask if it's okay, and if it is, we can go tomorrow morning. Don't forget, Mother's day is coming and we want to have time to bake cookies and spend time with the moms in our lives." Usagi turned to look at the side of the room that backed against the small apartment her mother and father shared in the large building. The rest of them lived in dorm-like rooms, but on one side of the house her parents had a small apartment, and on the other was an apartment for Ami's mother.

"Okay," Rei said briskly, looking sad.

Usagi winced, then hurried over to give the miko a hug. "Don't forget, not all moms are the same. Your grandfather has been everything to you, including mother. You should invite him," she suggested.

Rei grinned. "Maybe I'll see if he wants to wear a dress," she said, rolling her eyes.

Usagi stuck her tongue out at Rei, who returned the gesture, and another war began. The others laughed, having learned that when Rei was upset there was usually a reaction of some kind, and Usagi was best able to divert her attention before flames flew out of her fingertips.

She had her own worries at the moment. She missed the kids desperately. She hadn't realized just how much her life had begun to revolve around them. Helping with lessons, reading stories, playing games, and teaching them about life with powers, including how to control them. She was sad they couldn't be with her, but she also knew they needed time in the future with their parents. At least she knew they would be returning at some point to train. She missed them more than she could express.

At least Takeo and Yuzuki were around, and sometimes Helios came for a visit, usually when Usagi was feeling the most down, as though he somehow knew just how she was feeling. And baby Akane was an absolute delight. But they weren't her babies. Even though she hadn't had them yet, Usagi felt a connection with her future children. Something deep and profound that made her even more grateful for her own mother.

Only Mamoru truly understood what she was going through. As though he had picked up on her thoughts, which he might have, he suddenly appeared behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"We have time before school," he said. "Lets go do something. Just the two of us."

* * *

_***Mamoru's POV***_

Rolling his eyes at the antics of Koan and Berthier, who still tended to argue (a lot), Mamoru herded his friends into the Crown. The four sisters could argue quite loudly at the least provocation, and Koan and Berthier, who were the youngest, had been arguing all day. Most of the time Petz could keep them in line, but they were arguing about bedroom arrangements and the two girls both insisted they didn't want to share a room.

As their volume increased for what felt like the tenth time, Rubeus covered his ears and let out a sound of frustration. Mamoru was thankful he was immune to their decibels. Usagi was much louder.

The sisters now lived in the Tsukino's old house, and while it had four bedrooms and an attic, the space was apparently much too small to add four more people to it. Mamoru wasn't sure how to solve the problem. Saphir had no issues, as he would be moving into Petz' room with her. Mamoru had heard Dimande and Esmeraude talking about sharing a room. Which left the other four. Rubeus couldn't share with one of the girls. And the other three were most likely to argue. They needed an extra room.

He heard Usagi's laugh and looked up in relief. She would know what to do.

He had missed her all through school. After training had been a bust that morning they'd had a few minutes of alone time, but several hours apart wasn't fun, especially after the abduction a few weeks before. He didn't like taking his eyes off her for even a minute, and he knew she hated being alone. At least the others went to school with her.

"Usako!" he called, rushing to her side. She turned quickly and threw herself into his arms.

"Hey Mamo-chan," she said softly, kissing his cheek. "I was just showing Yuzuki how to play Sailor V. Look at her!"

He turned to see where she was pointing. Yuzuki was in front of the game, Takeo at her shoulder, as the little red-head shot Youma with Sailor V's crescent attack. Mamoru laughed as Yuzuki moved her entire body instead of just the joystick. It was adorable.

"Cute," he whispered, pointing it out to Haruki, who grinned and bent to watch the screen just behind her back.

"You were pretty annoyed on your way here," Usagi said suddenly.

Mamoru nodded and used their mental form of communication so he wouldn't be heard. :: I'm not sure how much more arguing I can take. It was better when we were in Elysion, but I swear they brake into three or four arguments a day. I'm terrified if they end up sharing a room not only will it be destroyed, but they might take the whole darn neighborhood out with their volume. ::

Usagi snorted a laugh out loud and grinned at him. :: Definitely. We could just go in and clear out the old craft room downstairs and put one of them in there. My mother is jonesing for her supplies anyways. Maybe you and the other guys can get it done as a surprise. ::

:: Great idea! :: Mamoru said. He had forgotten about the craft room entirely. :: I want to get it done as soon as possible. Tonight even. ::

"I won't stop you," Usagi said out loud.

Mamoru kissed her again and dragged her with him to where Kunzite stood with Minako. "You feel like helping me with a project?" he asked hopefully.

"Sure," Kunzite looked down at Minako and he could tell they were having a silent conversation as well.

"Before you go," Usagi started, "We should probably let you know Rei had a chance to talk to Grandfather and he says as long as we appear directly in the field instead of walking through the temple first, it shouldn't be a problem. He did say not to release our henshin the entire time we're there. He doesn't want to take the chance that Rei and Jadeite become associated with the Senshi."

"That's a good idea," Mamoru said quietly. He looked around to make sure no one was listening. "We also need to get the kids into the house for a bit to practice their henshin. I don't want them going out there and getting too tired only to drop it."

Usagi only nodded. Kunzite went off to collect the other guys, and he took that time to bed down and steal a kiss. "Love you Usako," he whispered.

"Love you Mamo-chan," she replied, smiling softly.

* * *

_***Koan's POV***_

She was tired, frustrated, and hungry. As she closed the door behind her and her sisters, Koan heard whispering coming from the living room, but the lights were off and she couldn't see who was there. It only took a few seconds for the four girls to henshin then they was prepared for battle.

Except instead of someone attacking them, all their friends jumped out and yelled surprise. Staggering back in shock, she knocked into Calaveras, almost knocking them both to the floor.

"What's going on?" Petz asked, sounding confused and suspicious.

"Well we had an idea," Usagi said. "We took down the craft room and put everything in the new place in one of the small rooms near the garden. Now there is a downstairs bedroom!"

"Oh," Calaveras said. "Who gets it?"

"Koan," Mamoru said, cutting off any and all possible arguments.

Shingo took over. "Being the youngest is sometimes a frustrating thing. You always get hand-me-downs, everyone tells you what to do, and you can't get away with anything." He grinned to take the sting out of his words.

"Also, she likes to play her music, and we thought it would be nice if she had her own space to do that," Rei said. Koan knew she was another music lover.

"Wow." She didn't really know what to say. She was worried one of her sisters would argue, but they were all smiling too. She wondered if she really did annoy them with her music.

"You're right," Berthier said, surprising her even more. "She's never even had a formal dress that was new." Berthier turned and hugged her. "But next time it's my turn," she added with a grin.

Koan was surprised to realized tears were falling. She wasn't normally a crier and the wetness on her cheeks was a bit of a shock. "Thank you," she said, but it came out in barely more than a whisper. Within moments she was inundated with hugs from her friends, as well as her other sisters. "Thank you," she whispered to each of them.

"You're very welcome," Usagi said, hugging hard. "Sometimes life gives you good surprises."

Laughing and crying at the same time, Koan nodded in agreement. Often lately she had felt lonely and out of place. Berthier got along better with Calaveras. Petz had Saphir, and Esmeraude had Dimande. Rubeus was a bit of a loner, which left her to her own devises. Her only outlet had been her music, which she often played loud. Now the others wouldn't be so irritated with her.

Natsume brought out a large cookie sheet with several dozen cupcakes smushed together and she laughed as she accepted one. "Thank you," she said again.

* * *

_***Rei's POV***_

At five in the morning Rei woke up to Jed tackling her with tickles. She glared up at him, then kissed him for all she was worth. Pushing him gently away she hurried to get up and make her way into the next room, where Takeo was still out cold. Jadeite followed her into the room and gathered his clothing for the day while she woke him up and struggled to get him out of the bed. The little one didn't like mornings and drove her to distraction at times.

"I don't want to get up," he whined at her, and turned over onto his belly.

"Jadeite," Rei said, grinning. "You're needed for a wake up call."

With a laugh, Jadeite tackled the boy, hugging him tightly before he gave him tickles and kisses. "Wake up, wake up," he said, then pulled the little boy into his arms.

Takeo began tickling him back, then both of them tackled Rei and she laughed so hard it was hard to breathe. She fled from them into the kitchen, where Grandfather was busy making breakfast.

"That was fast," the older man commented, catching a running Takeo before he could plow face first into the oven. He picked the little one up and hugged him. It was adorable as Grandfather was rather short himself.

Within an hour they had eaten and all of them were dressed. Rei watched as Takeo let his henshin take him, then she and Rei both transformed as well.

"It's time," West Knight said a moment later. He grabbed her hand first, then Golden Warrior's. With a smile at the boy, she took his hand too. They disappeared from the family kitchen and appeared in the field behind the Jinja.

The others were already in the field when they arrived except for Sun Knight and Pluto with Far Moon Warrior as Yuzuki was called in henshin.

North Knight (Kunzite) made his way over for Takeo. "Sword practice," he said cheerfully and he took the boy to East Knight (Nephrite) and handed him a wooden practice blade. Mars smiled as she watched them begin, then turned to the other girls.

"Where are the others?" she asked.

"Be here in a minute," Sailor Moon said. "Someone was feeling a bit grumpy this morning and gave her parents a hard time."

"That's what tickles are for," West Knight said, his face completely serious. "Everyone knows a kid can't be grumpy and laughing at the same time. Works like a charm." Mars nodded in agreement. Their little one could drive them insane at times, but when he got tickles he started to giggle and his whole mood changed.

There was a bright flash as the others arrived. Tuxedo Kamen climbed up onto a tall stump so that everyone could see him. "Alright everyone, we have a lot to get through this morning and I don't know if we can do it all before school." He waited until everyone had stopped what they were doing and approached. Takeo was already flushed from just a few minutes of sword practice, but he was grinning happily.

"The Shitennou need to work on their new combined attack," Tuxedo Kamen continued. "Senshi will be working on their planetary attack. Ail, An and Fiore have a new attack they want to work on, the New Growth Attack. Thunder Warrior and her sisters will be working on their Elemental Attack. There is also the Gem Attack for the others. Then the Senshi and the Shitennou have asked to try their dragon attacks. We want everyone to pay close attention to this as each of us resonates strongly with a certan element, therefore each of us has the potential for a dragon attack. Moon and I have not yet tried it, and I know most of you others haven't either, so it will be the focus once everything else is done."

He stepped down and helped Sailor Moon up onto the stump. "I want everyone to try and focus on the source of their power. Feel how your Crystal works with you. The more closely connected you are to your Crystal, the stronger you will become and the-"

Sailor Moon was cut off by a rush of people through the trees. Several reporters were making their way into the clearing and within seconds one had shoved a camera into the children's faces. She saw South Knight (Zoicite), who was closest, grab them both and he disappeared in a flash. Someone knocked her to the ground and started asking her questions. Stunned, she stared up at them in a mixture of anger and shock.

How had they know they were even there? How had they gotten there so quickly? How were they supposed to protect anyone if they couldn't practice? And how the hell was she supposed to get the man that was straddling her back off of her. He had a recorder in her face as he asked rapid fire questions. She wasn't sure what to do. If she tried to get away, she might accidentally hurt him.

Then the weight was gone and she felt herself being lifted to her feet. Sailor Moon held her hand gently. Mars looked around the field, stunned. Pluto was holding her arms up. "I can't hold them for long. Stopping time completely is taboo! I can only slow them. Hurry!"

"Hie! Teleport Now!" Sailor Moon shouted and with a flurry of bright lights, the group of heroes dispersed.

Mars teleported into the meeting room and hurried out of the way in case others were still coming. She released her henshin and looked over where Mamoru and Usagi stood at the end of the table, looking enraged.

"What just happened?" Zoicite asked, the two kids still in his arms as he stalked from one end of the table to the other. Both children were clinging to him, obviously frightened. Rei hurried to grab Takeo and a minute later Setsuna appeared for Yuzuki. "How did they know where we were?" he continued, looking enraged.

"One of them grabbed Rei," Jadeite said, trying to free his arms from the hold Kunzite and Nephrite had on him. "Let me go!" he shouted. "I just want to see if she's okay. I won't go and attack them," he added, looking each man in the eye.

Rei rushed to his side. "What's going on?" she asked, as he wrapped his now freed arms around her and a weeping Takeo.

"Jadeite was ready to do physical damage to the one that was holding you," Kunzite said. "We stopped him so that Usagi could handle it diplomatically."

Usagi snorted. "More like Setsuna handled it. If she wasn't there..." her voice trailed off. "I'm sorry. I don't want to tell people what to do, but enough is enough. We can't do this anymore. From now on we train in Elysion or on the Moon. That's final." Her words rang with the authority of their ruler. Mamoru's head nodded in agreement.

It was settled then. If they had any chance of helping people, they would have to train elsewhere.

Ikuko and Kenji were standing in the doorway. "Maybe you should go to Elysion for a few hours," Kenji suggested. "Cool down, get in some training."

"Hie," Mamoru said. "Come on everyone. Lets go."

* * *

***Usagi's POV***

In the time it took for two hours to pass in the normal world, the team spent three days in Elysion. It was definitely needed. Not only had they dealt with the press and the emotional after-effects that it caused, but they had been in need of the peace and of good training time.

They had Her, Mamoru, four Shitennou, Eight other Senshi, the three children of the Makai, the (now five) Ayakashi sisters, and the three newly dubbed Gem brothers.

It was just too many people to train all at once, so they broke into groups and trained a little at a time, working hard to make sure everyone focused on perfecting an old skill and learning a new one.

By the time they went home, ready for school, everyone had the beginnings at least of a dragon attack. The three that Ail, An, and Fiore made were incredibly beautiful and when they linked together in a mix of pink, teal, and blue, it was a sight to behold. A swirling mass nearly ten feet long and two wide. And whatever it touched was enveloped in the pure light of hope and love, and new life. For anything touched by evil it was a healing force that could be used to prepare the person for healing by Usagi and Mamoru, who had combined their healing abilities so it took only a few seconds instead of several long minutes.

Now they were back, and were in the middle of gathering there school things when there was a commotion in the meeting room. Usagi rushed in and realized why her mother sounded like she was weeping. It was because she was hugging three of her future grandchildren, rocking from side to side while she told them all how happy she was to see them.

"Sorry we didn't warn you we were coming," Chibi-Mamo said, rushing over for a hug when he caught sight of Usagi. "We figured it wouldn't be too much of a shock after Asahi and Mako showed up."

"Asahi? Mako?" Usagi asked, confused.

"They aren't here?" Chibi-Usa asked, sounding scared.

"Oh no. Did they get lost?" Tentomushi asked. She looked like she might cry. Mushi was a tenderhearted girl.

"We didn't know they were coming," Usagi admitted. "Are you sure they knew where to go?" she continued, hoping they weren't lost in the time vortex.

* * *

_***AUTHOR'S POV***_

In the darkened streets of Goslar, Germany, two brothers separated from one another. The youngest, Peruru, was unsure of their goal, and because of that he decided to stand in the shadows, observing rather than participating. His brother Poupelin, however, knew just what he was about, and was determined to do it to the best of his ability.

Queen Badiane had been very convincing. The children of the world deserved wonderful dreams. They deserved a life free of hardship and pain. As a Candy Fairy, sometimes called a Sugarplum Fairy, it was his job to help children find sweet dreams. All too often however, their dreams were frightening things, and hunger, cold, fear of war, fear of other people, and fear of monsters filled them. Those were not sweet dreams.

Having joined with two other Candy Fairies, Poupelin controlled one of three ships docked within the edges of the city. Now he raised a special flute to his lips and began to play a magical tune. Within the houses along the streets, children began to sit up in their beds. They were not awake. The music called to their dreams, and the children began to walk and sing calmly toward their captivity.

Had Poupelin known the truth of what his Queen would release on the world, he would have thrown down his flute and run away forever. He was not a bad Fairy. He only wanted the children to have sweet dreams. But his misunderstanding, his sadness, and his worry over the children of the world led him astray.

Peruru however, watching from the fringes of the party of children who climbed aboard the flying ship, began to question even more. The children were not awake and aware to make their own choices, and that seemed wrong somehow. With a sigh he turned away as his brother led the children up the ramp and into the hold. He turned to his own ship, which was empty, wondering what he should do.

The young ones dreamed as they made their way onto the vessel. They did not see what they were doing, or where they were going. The big wooden ship floated up into the air instead of across the sea. The songs of the children floated across the city, where in the morning parents would wake to find their children gone. The ship floated on and on through the night until it came to a massive structure hidden away in the clouds.

Had they been aware, the children might have been terrified, for when they arrived at the Marzipan Castle, they were marched into small glass coffins, hardly big enough for a child, where they would sleep forever, unless someone came to save them. They would not see their mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, cousins and friends, except in the dream, until someone came to wake them.

* * *

**Author's Note:** This story is coming together nicely. Unless I get really carried away while writing I believe it will be eight chapters, plus the prologue and the epilogue. I want to have it finished by Father's Day.

I also want to wish you all a very happy Mother's Day. I'd like to think this story will showcase some of the different kinds of mothers. Young, old, biological, adopted, and even those who care for children like a mother, but without the title (sisters, aunts, cousins, godmothers, etc.). Also those fathers who take the role of both parents. Same goes for all the mothers who do the same! You are all special and wonderful people. Motherhood is NOT easy. I know... my own is finally grown and this will be my first year without him here at home, so this story is a bit of an outlet for me. So to all of you out there who change diapers, kiss boo-boos, have 'the talk,' deal with rebellion in various forms, and finally let your kids fly from the nest... Happy Mother's day from me to you.

This story is dedicated to the women in my life who have been my guidance and support. Mom, Liz (my sister), Renee (my stepmom), June (who mothered me when I needed it the most). I never would have come this far without you!

This story encompasses both holidays and is largely focused around the children who have come from the future or who have been taken in by the Senshi/Shitennou/Hogosha. I hope to sneak in some sweet and poignant moments for you as well as a ton of action and hopefully a few good laughs. I want to celebrate mothers and fathers from all around the world, because lets face it, we wouldn't be here without them.


	3. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: C**ouple of small things. One, Losing Control won the vote for a sequel to start soon, so that is in the works. Two, I am having serious computer issues, mostly with my internet browser, and have been using my phone to write. Not only is this slower, but there is a chance for more mistakes to be missed. There are probably also a few formatting issues that might be annoying but went stop you from reading the story.

I want to send thanks to all the moms and dads out there in whatever form. You rock. Parenting is nit easy. This story is for you!

* * *

**Dedication: A Mother's and Father's Day Story  
****Holiday Series: Book Five  
****Chapter Two**

* * *

_***Esmeraude's POV***_

Slipping into the kitchen, Esmeraude hurried to gather the bento boxes for the girls and Rubeus. The four younger girls and the red-haired youth would be going to school soon and she had prepared their lunches before they had left for the disaterous training at the Jinja.

Upstairs two of her new sisters were arguing. She thought perhaps Berthier and Koan. She was grateful the youngest had a room on the first floor now, but it didn't make the bathroom situation any easier.

Dimande had just entered the kitchen when they heard a knock on the door and he rushed out to answer it. Esmeraude couldn't hear what was being said, but whoever was talking was very young. She rushed out to see what was happening and stopped in shock.

Two children of the Senshi, from the future, were standing in the genkan, looking up at Dimande anxiously.

"Can you take us?" the boy asked as she approached. She thought his name was Asahi, Kunzite and Minako's son.

"Of course," Dimande said quickly. He flipped open his communicator however. After pressing a button they both waited for an answer.

It was Kunzite's face that appeared on screen. He looked worried. Esmeraude thought perhaps he knew the children were coming, though nothing had been said while they were in Elysion.

"Two little ones just appeared," Dimande started. "Asahi and Mako. We are bringing them to you," he added.

"Thank the kami," she heard Kunzite mutter. "The others showed up a few minutes ago and said they left first. We were worried. Thank you for bringing them. We will be waiting."

Esmeraude hollered up the stairs for the others. "We have to go early," she called. "You can meet us there. Don't forget your lunches!"

She heard Saphir yell that they would be there shortly.

Then she picked up the little girl with chestnut curls who looked so like Makoto it was scary, and snagged her onto her hip. Dimande took Asahi's hand and then her own. A moment later they were at the big house, in the meeting room. They stepped out of the area for teleportation just as Minako and Makoto hurried forward for the little ones.

"Asahi remembered the house," Dimande explained to an obviously fretting Makoto who was rocking the little girl from side to side. "I doubt he had much of a plan."

"According to Mushy, there was no time to plan. He stole the key and came and poor Mako was pulled along in his wake."

Esmeraude gasped. That was dangerous. The little girl could have been lost in the time vortex forever. But Dimande's head shot up for another reason.

"Mushi is here?" he asked excitedly. He had grown attached to the little one as they prepared to battle Wiseman. If she was honest, Esmeraude had too. The little one held no grudges for the attempted abduction.

"Uncle Dimande! Auntie Esmeraude!" a happy voice cried and they found themselves on the receiving end of very rambunctious hugs from the twins and Tentomushi.

It was Chibi-Usa who turned to Asahi. "We promised to help you," she said in her high-pitched voice. "You don't have to do this on your own," she continued looking both sad and hurt.

Asahi rubbed the back of his neck with a hand and looked at the other children sheepishly. Yuzuki and Takeo had joined them, looking grave and concerned. Asahi glanced up at Minako, who was still holding him close, then across the room at green-haired Setsuna.

"I'm sorry."

Esmeraude could hear a thousand things he didn't say. The boy was worried for his friends, worried the adults would stop him, and worried most of all for Setsuna, who looked merely curious and not devastated.

She realized why Asahi had come. He planned to find and rescue Heliodor. Even on Nemesis they'd heard when the infant had been stolen. Esmeraude remembered thinking how cruel it was to take a baby. How long had the girl been missing? Who had taken her? Where was she now?

* * *

_***Mako's POV***_

Mako was a little frightened, but she didn't want the others to know. They would all be going to Elysion with the young version of their parents as well as their honorary aunts and uncles.

After going through the time vortex everything seemed scarier. She felt like she didn't belong with the others, but she couldn't go back by herself and she was too embarrassed to admit she was scared and wanted her mom and dad.

The younger versions of her parents were very nice, and they smelled and sounded the same, but her mommy knew the songs and stories she liked and her daddy would always squeeze her tight, tight, tight when she got scared. She liked the younger versions, but they weren't the same.

She sniffled and wiped at the tears that kept falling whether she wanted them to or not. Then young daddy picked her up and he held her really close and whispered that everything would be okay. She snuggled in and wrapped her arms around his neck. He squeezed and squeezed and she felt a lot better.

"You must have been scared," he said, whispering so only she could hear. "Its okay now Mako. Auntie Usa will make sure it isn't scary when you go back."

"Do I have to go now?" she asked, afraid to go alone.

"Not at all. Besides, you could use a bit of training like the others. Have you found your hero form yet?"

"No, but I know what it is," she admitted. "When I get mad I make thunder and lightning."

"Just like your mother," young daddy said, smiling. "Chibi Jupiter then."

Mako nodded. "Does it hurt?" she asked, worried about transforming for the first time.

"Not at all," young mommy said, coming to stand beside them. "It feels warm and happy, like gooey cookies," she explained. "It makes you feel like a missing piece filled up."

Then Usagi and Mamoru were calling everyone together and she stayed in young daddy's arms as they felt pressure and darkness. She didn't even have time to be scared before it was over.

Warm sunlight touched her face and arms. She could hear birds singing and water bubbling and wind sighing.

"Chibi-Usa!," someone yelled and she turned in young daddy's arms to see a boy with curly blonde hair and a golden horn running across a field of wild flowers. He looked happy and excited.

"Hellos!" Chibi-Usa yelled, running to him. It took a minute for Mako to remember the boy was Usa's betrothed, which meant some day they would get married. Now though they were just friends.

Mako didn't know her betrothed yet, but she knew she had one. Her parents hadn't told her his name, but they said she would help him find the truth. She wasn't sure what truth she was going to find, or how. It was a little strange how her parents knew some things but not others. They told her they would remember after it happened, which made no sense to a five-year-old.

As she watched the reunion, Mako wondered is one day she would be best friends with her future husband. And was he really her perfect match, her soulmate, like her mommy claimed?

Found daddy crouched down and stood her up on her feet. "Why don't you play with the others for a little while?" he said.

She didn't want to leave gm, but she knew that tone meant he had to talk to the others and wanted her busy while he did. She nodded and hugged him, then young mommy, before dashing over to the other kids, who stood in a small circle. Hellos and his sisters were with them.

"Hi," Mako said shyly, digging her toe into the soft grass.

"Hi Mako!" one of the silver horned girls enthused.

"Um, hi." She gave the girl a smile and a tiny wave.

"I'm Wala. This is Áine."

"Hi," she said again.

"There going to start soon Mako-chan," Mushi said. "Its real easy. You just feel all warm in your chest and let you henshined take you. It feels all thickly," she added.

"Is it scary?" she asked.

"Not at all," Chibi-Usa said, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "It feels good. Warm. It makes you feel happy."

"Besides," Mamo added, "yours is just like your moms. You've seen it a lot. You already know what to expect.

"Okay," she breathed. She noticed Asahi looked nervous too, but he was trying to hide it. The others only seemed excited.

"Hey Mako," young mommy said, coming to her side. "I am going to help you find your henshin."

Mako only nodded, turning to look at young mommy. She saw Kunzite approach Asahi and realized he would be getting help too. She paid attention carefully as young mommy became Sailor Jupiter. The Senshi looked exactly the same as she remembered.

"Henshin yo," Sailor Jupiter said, her voice gentle but commanding.

Mako felt heat rise up in her chest and spread out to her arms and legs. The warm feeling was nice, like a hug. Her fingertips tingled and then she felt herself being lifted and pretty purple streaks of lightning covered her for a minute.

Her clothing was replaced by the Senshi fuku and she felt earrings appear, a choker, boots, and gloves. It all happened in less than a minute, and then she was on the ground again, staring up at the Senshi who would one day become her mother.

Looking at herself she realized her fuku was slightly different than her mother's, but only in color. Instead of green her fuku skirt was a pale lilac color.

"Wow!"

"Beautiful," Sailor Jupiter and East Knight chorused.

"She looks just like you," East Knight continued a moment later. "Except the color change. I wonder why that is," he added, looking between Chibi Moon and Chibi Jupiter.

"I think their own Crystals effect the henshin," Sailor Moon said as she approached. "One day they will carry the Crystals they are destined to, and their birth Crystals will be joined to them. Until then, the Crystals are in training as much as they."

"Makes sense," Jupiter said, then grinned. "I promise I went tell."

Sailor Moon giggled. "You better not. Last thing I need is people thinking I know how to reason." The two teens broke into hysterical laughter. Chibi Jupiter didn't understand and looked to young daddy for an explanation, but East Knight only shrugged his shoulders and grinned.

* * *

_***Usagi's POV***_

The massive industrial kitchen in their building was overcrowded. Not only were there over a dozen girls along with Ikuko and Saeko, but there were eight children running amok. The smells of cinnamon and cookie dough, chocolate and vanilla wafted through the air. Usagi turned in a circle, looking around at everyone.

While the building they'd purchased a few months before was a massive structure with all the amenities, they hadn't counted on having so many extra people inside one room. It was hard to believe the place had once been home to a youth center as well as two businesses.

Now, as she thought about all the changes in their lives since they'd taken on the incredible property, she wondered if it would even be big enough. One of the storefronts was about to get a massive makeover. The Ayakashi sisters wanted to run a cosmetics store, and Usagi and Mamoru had worked out a plan with her father to help set them up for it. More would have to be done, including getting business liscences, and so many things Usagi was sure she hadn't thought of yet, but their dream would be fulfilled if she had anything to say about it.

On the other side, the old dojo that had been closed for many years would soon be open as well. That would be run by Nephrite and Makoto, but all of them would help out. It was important to have their own income so they wouldn't rely too heavily on the money set aside by Mamoru's parents, or on what the other guys had now that her father had found their true documentation.

A tug on her shirt brought Usagi back to the present. She looked down to see Mushi, arms lifted, waiting patiently to be picked up. Usagi grinned and grabbed her, seining the little red-head up onto her hip. "And what are you up to my little ladybug?" she asked, hugging her future daughter close.  
Tentomushi only grinned and snuggled her head in the crease between Usagi's shoulder and neck. "I want cuddles," she breathed.

Usagi moved to the side to avoid being trampled by Takeo and Chibi-Mamo, who were running full-tilt through the kitchen at the sound of a bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips being opened. Admittedly, Usagi wanted to race over and grab a handful herself, but she was trying to be better behaved so she could set an example for the little ones. Apparently it wasn't working out very well.

"Will you help me?" Chibi-Usa asked, approaching them. "I want mine to be pretty like Ami's."  
Walking to the counter, Usagi watched carefully as Ami pressed the bottm of a glass with a starburst pattern down over the small balls of dough. She was impressed by the beauty of it and asked Ami where she'd learned.

Glancing over at Saeko, her mother, Ami explained. "When I was little my mom showed me this. It makes the cookies very pretty and flattens them so they cook evenly. When they come out they're all golden brown and they taste wonderful." Doctor Mizuno must have heard the explanation because she stopped mixing a batch of dough and turned to give her daughter a hug.

"They look perfect Ami," she complimented.

"I want mine to look perfect too," Chibi-Usa whined.

Usagi knelt next to her future daughter, Mushi still on her shoulder, and looked Chibi-Usa in the eyes. "You know I used to think the exact same way," she said. "And maybe, if things hadn't changed so much, I might be having an argument over whose cookies look and taste better," she added with a grin, looking over at Rei, who was holding a squirming Takeo by his shirt collar. "But I had to learn that just because something looks perfect, doesn't mean it is perfect."

She settled to sit cross-legged on the floor, putting Mushi on one knee and little Usa on the other. "Did you know I once wished for a normal life?"

Both girls shook their heads in denial.

"I did," Usagi continued. "I wanted no fighting, no worrying about what monster was going to appear next. I wanted to wake up late and run to school, get yelled at by Haruna-sensei, serve detention, and play video games for hours and hours. But when I got my wish, I was sad and lonely, even before Luna helped me remember. All the other girls were too. I had this idea of something that looked perfect, and I eventually learned that perfect didn't work for me."

Both girls looked confused. "When special bowls are repaired," she continued, the person who fixes them uses gold. You can see all the cracks. In fact they stand out better than the rest of the pieces. Those little imperfections make things beautiful. So when you make your cookies, I don't want you to focus on perfection. Instead, focus on following the directions very carefully so they don't make anyone sick. Focus on who you want to give the cookies to. What do you want to say with your gift? Do you want to say 'I love you?' Do you want to say, 'you're my friend?' If the cookies don't look perfect, that wont change how they taste."

Usagi looked at each of the girls. "You can't use the glass to flatten chocolate chip cookies," she continued. "If you do, it will stick to it. The trick with the glass works on sugar cookies and others like that. Yours will be thick and gooey and very yummy," she explained. "They won't be flat or perfectly round. But they will be delicious."

"Okay," Chibi-Usa said, finally seeming to understand. She stood quickly and helped Tentomushi to her feet, and both girls raced to grandma-Ikuko, who was busy preparing their ingredients.

"Wow," Ami said, reaching down a hand to help Usagi up as well.

"What?" she asked, confused.

"You're a mom," Ami whispered, looking at her with awe.

Blushing, Usagi waved a hand. "Not yet, but I really love them," she explained. "I want them to learn that perfection isn't everything."

"Total mom," Ami said, nodding her head. "Total and complete mom."

"Well, I'm not as mine," Usagi hedged. "I want to be, someday."

"She's very proud of you," Saeko interjected. "She was watching you talk to the girls and looked so proud I thought she might float away."

Usagi blushed again and grinned. "Can't wait to see how the cookies come out," she said, changing the subject.

Makoto, who was on the other side of the counter with Chibi-Mako, was telling the little girl a story about her own youth, when her mother had said she would prepare cookies for the fairies. Usagi knew it was a way to explain why there were always cookies when Makoto came home from school, and couldn't help smiling at the story. She knew Makoto still missed her own mother, just as much as Rei did hers, but she could see they were both trying for the little ones.

More than an hour passed before Usagi was able to work on her own cookies, which were going to be gifts. She had two dozen prepared, and they did look pretty good, though most of them were slightly too dark at the edges. She knew people wouldn't mind though. She let them cool while she prepared little cardboard boxes with little ribbons and wrote the names of the people she was giving them to.

She had just put the last cookie inside when an argument rang out. Chibi-Usa was yelling at Asahi, who had said Chibi-Mako's cookies were too broken and didn't look right. The little girl was crying, being crowded by the other girls. Asahi looked like he felt bad about what he had said, but he didn't back down until Kunzite pulled him out of the room.

Chibi-Usa turned and gave Chibi-Mako a hug and then Makoto grabbed the girl and shushed her, then helped her put the cookies into a pretty bag with a purple ribbon to hold it closed. With a sigh, Usagi turned back to her box and closed it. Asahi worried her. He seemed so frustrated all the time. The children had been with them for two days, and though it was obvious he loved the others, he was very impatient, and often he could be found staring out the windows instead of playing.

Usagi only had a vague understanding of their mission. They didn't want to change the future too much by telling them what was going on. Part of it was training, she knew, but the other part was a search for someone who had gone missing. Who that person was, they refused to say. They only gave her name. Heliodor. Asahi seemed the most frustrated by the lack of any news about the girl.

With a sigh, Usagi closed up the box and put all four in the cupboard. Three would remain here. One for her mother, one for her father, one for Mamo-chan. The last she would bring with her to school to give to her favorite teacher, Haruna-sensei.

That done, she made her way out of the kitchen and into the long hallway that ran between the family apartment on the left and the old storefront the Ayakashi sisters would be using soon. She found Asahi there, his forehead resting on the glass, and went to him.

She could see in the reflection that the boy had tears streaming down his cheeks, and she wished she could snap her fingers and make the missing person appear. She had her suspicions about who it was however, and why he was so upset.

"Asahi-kun," she said in a soft voice, leaning against the wall so she could slide down and sit on the floor beside him.

He turned to look at her, his eyes devastated. "I- I didn't mean to hurt her feelings," he said in a whisper.

Nodding, Usagi opened her arms to him and pulled the sad boy onto her lap, holding him close. "Would it help if I told you I understood what you're going through?" she asked, keeping her voice low so that no one passing by the hallway would overhear.

"You do?" he asked, sounding shocked.

"I do. I don't know if anyone ever told you, but my Mamo-chan was taken from me. He was gone for months, and it felt like a million years. I already loved him so very much, but no one really seemed to understand. I searched and searched for him, and then I was forced to fight against him." Usagi shuddered at the memory. "It was awful."

"You don't think they'll make Heliodor fight me, do you?" Asahi asked, looking horrified.

She shook her head. "No. She's just a child, and a child wouldn't be able to fight the way a grown-up can. But that doesn't make it hurt any less that she's missing. I bet she's still very young too, from the things all of you have said. Which makes it even scarier. But I know how to help you."

"You do?"

Usagi nodded. "I do. Do you remember when Kunzite helped you transform a few days ago?"

"Yes."

"Good. Remember how warm it felt inside your chest?" At his nod, Usagi continued. "That warmth is from your Crystal. Every person has at least the seeds of a Crystal within themselves. For most, it's called a Star Seed, and it has no power, but when a Crystal is formed, it is linked to you. To your mind, to your heart, your soul. Now, if little Heliodor is your soulmate, then your Crystal and hers are linked."

"Linked?" he asked, sounding confused.

"Linked." Usagi held up her hands and put the thumb and forfinger of each into little circles, then connected those circles like links on a chain. "They are connected. Your Crystal is searching for her Crystal just as much as you are searching for her."

"How?" Asahi frowned. "I didn't know the Crystals could think."

"Oh they don't. At least, not the same way you and I think. But they have a sort of consciousness. They can feel the needs of the one who protects them, and they are irrevocably linked to our souls. If you can tap into that, into the warm feelings where your power sits, you can ask your Crystal for help."

"I can?"

"You can. I can help you. Would you like that?" she asked.

"Please," Asahi said, his eyes filling with hopeful tears.

"Alright. Now, close your eyes." She waited for him to obey, then closed her own.

She could feel his Crystal already, and knew it was searching, longing for it's mate. His was the Golden North Crystal. The echo she could feel was from the distant Yellow Sun Crystal. Holding in her gasp of shock and pain at the realization that the missing child was the daughter of Haruki and Setsuna, Usagi opened her eyes and focused her attention on the boy.

"Feel the heat in your chest," she whispered. "Focus on your Crystal. Can you feel it?"

"Yes," Asahi whispered, clearly shocked. "I feel it."

"Good. Now, focus carefully on how it pulses. Do you feel the faint echo inside it?"

"Yes," he whispered.

"That echo is it's mate. You were right, she is in this time. Now, I want you to focus very hard and make a Heart Wish on your Crystal. Can you do that?"

"Uh huh," he nodded as he spoke, though his eyes were still closed in concentration.

"Good. I want you to wish with all your might that you can find Heliodor and bring her home safe. The Wish has to be unselfish or it will go wrong. Focus on someone who misses her even more than you. Think about how her mother and father feel without her, and how they want to see her grow up. Are you focused?"

"Yes," Asahi whispered again.

"Now, Wish. Wish to find her so you can bring her home. Wish that she is safe and that she is okay. Wish for something to help you find her. Wish to make sure she gets to see her parents again. Wish that they don't ever have to cry again, worrying about her."

Asahi started to glow a light yellow color as his Crystal worked within him. She could see the pulsing light of it as it sent the Wish out. Knowing Yume could help, Usagi sent out her own Wish, using the Silver Crystal, that he would find Heliodor and that they would be able to grow up together and be happy. That future Setsuna and Haruki would have some peace, knowing their daughter would be returned to them. And that Asahi would be safe as he searched.

The glow of the Silver Crystal meshed with the lighter yellow glow, which was more faint, but she could feel the energy of it, and a faint echo from somewhere distant. Someone was Wishing to protect the girl. Someone was caring for her. She knew it in her heart. Grateful for this knowledge, she let the power of the Silver Crystal fade and watched Asahi do the same with his own.

Then his eyes opened and he turned his silvery gaze to her. "I felt it," he said, his voice no more than a whisper. "I felt her," he added. "I'm going to find her."

"Yes, you are," Usagi agreed.

She watched the joy filter over him as the knowledge settled deep. He would not give up and more than she had with Mamoru. He would search the ends of the earth for her, though she already knew he wouldn't have to go so far. Something would happen that would bring them together.

* * *

_***Ikuko's POV***_

Ikuko stood in front of the television, staring at the screen in horror. Kenji had hurried out the moment he'd received a call earlier that evening. Curiosity had gotten the better of her, so she'd turned on the news. Obviously it was something major if an editor had been called in to write part of the story.

Mouth gaping, she continued to watch, her heart beating rapidly in her chest. She struggled to pull in enough air to holler for someone. Finally, her anguish let her make a hoarse cry and she heard running footsteps approach.

"Mom?" Shingo's voice was filled with worry as he approached her. "What's wrong? Are you hurt?"

Ikuko could only lift her hand and point to the silent screen, where hundreds of parents huddled together, holding onto each other for support. The words scrolling at the bottom of the screen were barely comprehensible to her now.

"Usagi!" Shingo yelled, his voice echoing through the family room. "Usagi!"

She wasn't the only one to come running. Mamoru and Minako were on her heels as she dashed into the room. "What is it? What's going on? Mom? Mom, are you okay?"

"I think she's in shock," Shingo said. "Look."

"Oh Kami," Usagi breathed, falling to her knees as the import of what she was seeing hit her. "Oh no. We have to help," she whispered.

"Four cities in four nights," Minako said, apparently having read the ticker at the bottom of the screen. "Children between the ages of three and twelve, missing from their beds with no note, no idea of where they've gone. Not a trace."

"The kids," Mamoru said, looking around helplessly. "We have to protect the kids."

"Germany, France, and England have all had large towns and small cities hit," Shingo added, telling what he had seen before they'd entered the room.

Ikuko felt Usagi wrap strong arms around her. She shuddered in a breath and turned to look. "Those poor kids. Those poor, poor parents," she whispered.

"We will find them," Usagi said, face full of determination. "We will find them and bring them home!"


	4. Chapter 3

Author's Note: Just a reminder that this was all written on my phone so there may be some errors. If you see any major ones please let me know so I can fix them.

* * *

** Dedication: Mother's and Father's Day Story**  
**Holiday Series: Book Five**  
**Chapter Three**

* * *

_***Chibi-Mako's POV***_

Chibi-Mako, as the young version of her parents had dubbed her, wasn't in a very happy mood. She had been teased and yelled at for her cookies by Asahi, and even though she knew he was very sad, she didn't like how mean he was being.

He had come to say he was sorry, and given her a big hug, promising never to tease her again, but her feelings were still hurt. She fingered the baggie of cookies she still carried. They weren't pretty but they tasted very good. She wanted to use them to make new friends.

The other kids all seemed to be paired up and spent their time together. Plus, they were all in on some plan to find Heliodor, and she felt left out. She wanted to help, and she wasn't much younger than they were, but they seemed to think she would only be in the way. It wasn't fair. She had practiced in Elysion, just like they did. She was working hard and she tried a lot.

Sniffling, Mako kicked her feet as she sat in the tire swing. The other kids were all together, and she was alone. She missed her siblings and the rest of the kids from her time. She missed her friends from Kinmoku and all the other planets. She wanted to go back to her own time where there were people to pay attention to her. Instead, she was sitting outside, all alone.

Frustrated and hurt, she jumped off the swing and made her way out of the yard. A little way down the street she could see a park. Other kids would be playing in a park and she could make friends. It would be easier without the others, who always seemed more popular than she did. A sad little sigh escaped as she looked back to the house. No one was looking for her, so she snuck out of the yard and made her way down the sidewalk.

Just down the street she stopped, caught by the sight of cakes and cookies in a bakery window. She wished her own cookies looked as pretty. But they didn't. Hers were broken and lumpy. At least they tasted good. That had to count for something.

A boy sniffled beside her and she turned to look. For a moment he appeared to have bright wings in every color of the rainbow. He wore red slacks, a bit dressy, with a white long-sleeved shirt under the red vest.

The boy was staring longingly into the bakery window and let out a heavy sigh. He seemed as sad as she felt. That wasn't good. Being sad was awful. She wanted him to be happy instead.

Finding her courage, Chibi-Mako cleared her throat. "Um, hi," she said, feeling silly and shy.

The boy turned his eyes on her and they seemed to glitter for a moment. Chibi-Mako reached out and touched his back as he seemed yet again to flutter a pair of wings.

"Hello," he said.

Giving a small bow, Chibi-Mako introduced herself. "I'm Yoshida Makoto," she said, blushing slightly. "People call le Chibi-Mako because my mommy is Makoto too. What's your name?"

"Peruru," said the boy. He still looked sad.

"Are you going to buy a cookie?" she asked, glancing at the display. Blushing again, she held out the little baggie of cookies she had made instead. "You can have these," she said nervously. "I made them special so I could find a friend. Do you want to be my friend?"

"Yes," the boy said, smiling now.

"What are you doing here?" Chibi-Mako asked as he took out a cookie and bit into it. When he grinned happily and made yummy noises she felt much happier. "Are you waiting for someone?"

Peruru shook his head. "No. I wanted to see the children. They all look so happy. They dont seem frightened or sad at all."

Chibi-Mako giggled. "Of course not silly," she said. "This is a swwet shop. Who could be sad at a sweet shop?"

"You looked sad," Peruru said, frowning. "But you don't anymore."

"Someone hurt my feelings," she explained. "He didnt mean too. Someone we love is missing and he is sad and worried. But now I made a new friend, and that makes me happy."

Peruru frowned. "A friend is missing?" he asked.

"Yes, and Asahi can't ever be happy without her cause she's his soulmate. I still don't understand. Who would take a little kid?"

The question seemed to upset Peruru greatly. "Arent some kids better without the life they're living? Wouldn't they be better in a place where they are always happy?"

Chibi-Mako frowned as she thought about his question. Perhaps some children were sad and scared, but tears didn't last forever.

"Most kids just want their mommy and daddy," she tried to explain. "There are things that aren't so fun, like school, getting shots, or seeing the dentist," she gave a little shudder at the last one. "But isn't all that worth it? My auntie was telling my cousins about the most beatiful bowls. All of them were brokeded but fixed with gold and they are even more pretty because of it. Bad stuff happens, but that makes the good stuff even better."

"Wow," Peruru whispered.

"Do you want to go to the park?" she asked. "I don't have money for the sweet shop and its no fun to just stare."

Peruru laughed. "It can be fun," he said and pulled out a thin flute tbat curled at the end. He put it to his lips and began to play, nodding for her to look again.

Behind the glass several cookies lifted into the air to form dancing figures. It was incredible and Mako-Chan watched in delight until the music ended.

"Wow!" she breathed. That was amazing!"

Suddenly she could hear her name being called by panicked voices. She looked back to see the young versions of her parents racing down the street towards her.

"Uh oh," she whispered. "I think I upset them."

"They won't be mean to you will they?" Peruru asked.

Shaking her head, Chibi-Mako explained. They might yell, but only because they were scared. They love me. I shouldn't have left without telling them."

"Oh. I have to go," he said. "Maybe I can see you again soon."

Seconds later Chibi-Mako found herself in the arms of her parents. It didn't feel like they were the young version, just that they were her parents. Her daddy held her tight and she could see tears on his and her mommy's faces. They checked her over as though afraid she had been hurt.

"Who is your friend?" young mommy asked.

"His name is Peruru and he is very nice," Chibi-Mako said.

Peruru gave a shy wave, blushing. Young mommy said hi to him and asked if he was lost. He told them his older brother would be there soon to collect him. Chibi-Mako wasn't sure if that was true. He hadn't said anything about an older brother. But then he turned away and young daddy had her standing on her feet again, his hands on her shoulders.

"Don't you ever go running off like that again," he said, his voice shaking.

"I won't," Chibi-Mako promised, feeling very bad that she had frightened them.

Then she overheard Peruru, sounding worried, talking to someone. "... want to do this anymore. The kids are happy here."

"You will do as you are told," another voice said. That must have been his brother. He sounded very angry. "We have to do what the queen tells us," he added.

"Queen Badiane isn't telling the truth Poupelin," Peruru said. "I don't trust her. The kids are happy where they are. I don't want to do this anymore."

"You will do as you are told. Get back to the ship. Now!"

Chibi-Mako looked to young mommy and daddy, but they were talking to each other and not paying attention She wanted to save Peruru. She turned, ready to run to help, only to see the other boy, Poupelin, grab onto Peruru, hard enough for him to cry out in pain, and disappear. She gasped, fear for her new friend making her want to cry.

"Mommy, daddy, the boy took him!" she yelled.

"What boy?" young daddy asked.

"His name is Poupelin and he was mean to Peruru!"

"Wasn't it his brother?" young mommy asked. "He said his brother was coming."

"But he was mean and grabbed him," Chibi-Mako said, hoping they understood.

"Brothers aren't always nice," young daddy said. "Remember, Asahi is your friend, but he yelled at you." Both young mommy and daddy seemed to accept this as the truth instead of worrying. Chibi-Mako bit her lip. Asahi said something mean, but he didn't grab and hurt her. He would never do that, or make her do things she didn't want to do.

Young daddy picked her up and they started walking back to the house. Chibi-Mako bit her lip. She had promised not to leave again, but now she knew they weren't going to listen. Somebody had to help Peruru. If they wouldn't do it, it was up to her.

* * *

_***Usagi's POV***_

"We've got four cities, all in Europe," Usagi said, looking at the projected map on the wall. The locations were marked with red dots, but that was all they really had to go on.

She paced back and forth across the front of the room. Makoto and Nephrite had only just returned with Chibi-Mako and were now sitting in the room. The children were in the dining room with her mother, who was giving all of them a snack.

"How do we find these children?" Minako asked.

"We could try and sense them," Tomatsu suggested. He was frowning, his eyes closed. "I don't sense any large groups of frightened children, but they might not be close. I could try going different places with the others. Maybe we can pick something up.

Usagi wasn't sure how he and the others were able to sense others, but she had seen it work a few times. She nodded to them to go and the three of them released their human disguises, becoming Fiore, Ail, and An.

"Akane has already been fed," An said, handing the little one over to Esmeraude. "She should fall asleep soon." The other woman nodded and promised to lay her down soon.

Once the three of them had left, Usagi turned back to the map of Europe. "Is anyone willing to go and talk to some of these parents?" she asked.

Rei and Jadeite stood before she had finished speaking. Then Minako and Kunzite stood. Makoto and Nephrite. Finally Ami and Zoicite stood.

"Okay. Groups of two," Usagi said. "Try to avoid too much notice. I don't want this to be about us. The focus has to stay on those missing kids."

"Lets go say goodbye to the little ones," Makoto said, hurrying from the room. Usagi nodded. She wasn't used to having anyone relying on her yet. It was sweet to see her blossom. The others hurried after her, all concerned with checking on the kids.

"Mamo-chan, I think you and I need to talk to our contacts in the police department," she suggested. "Everyone else should be out patrolling, or seeing what, if anything can be discovered. The kids should be going to bed soon, so they don't really need us right now."

Esmeraude nodded in agreement, holding the sleeping baby on her shoulder. "Let me go put her in the crib and we can get out there." Usagi nodded.

She and Mamoru made their way to the dining room where the kids were all eating a snack before bed. Usagi still thought eight was too early for the kids to lay down, but she'd gotten used to it during their previous visit. Chibi-Usa ran to her and threw her arms around her waist. She hugged her future daughter tight, then opened her arms for the others. Chibi-Mamo and Tentomushi both ran at her as well.

"Stay together and protect one another," she said, keeping her voice low. "Don't let Chibi-Mako go out alone. Promise me." She looked all three of them in the eyes until each one of them had nodded. "I know you all came back for a reason," she added, "but remember to protect each other. And take a communicator, just in case if you do leave soon."

Chibi-Usa looked up at her and nodded. Helios hurried over and promised he wouldn't let anything bad happen to any of them. Usagi felt a little better about it, but she and Mamoru both had sensed something was coming. Something big. She let go of the kids and mamoru hugged all of them tightly for a moment. He seemed hesitant to let them go. She knew they had to find their own path, but that didn't mean she had to like it.

Mamoru took her hand and led her back to the meeting area and the designated teleportation area. A moment later they had henshined and she closed her eyes as the pressure hit. Blackness surrounded them for half a heartbeat and then they were standing outside the local police station where there were a few officers they had gone to in the past.

As soon as they walked into the station the woman behind the desk buzzed them in to a long hallway. They followed it down to the room where they always met with the chief, or Officers Sato and Takahashi. All three had appeared within moments.

"Are we likely to see the same disappearances?" Police Chief Maruyama asked. He was past middle aged. A serious man who cared about his officers and the people of Tokyo very much. He had earned their respect several times over.

"We aren't sure yet," Sailor Moon told him. "We've sent the others out. The Children of the Makai are searching for the energy signatures of the missing children. The Inner Senshi and the Shitennou are in the cities with missing little ones searching for anything that might have been missed or wasn't on the news. The rest are on patrol."

"How worried should we be?" Officer Sato asked, brushing a stray hair away from her face. She always kept her hair up, but it looked as though she was worried and had been rubbing at her bun.

"I don't know. I doubt they would skip right to Japan after four European countries, but I can't guarantee anything. There are a lot of children in Tokyo. Many more than in the other towns. We don't know how they have been collecting them, and that worries all of us." Tuxedo Kamen removed his top hat as he spoke and ran his hand through his hair. "This isn't like anything we've seen before."

* * *

_***Asahi's POV***_

Asahi waited in the hallway just outside the room the girls were in. Somehow he knew she would try to sneak out, and he wasn't about to let her go alone. Not now, not ever. No, little Mako needed him and the others. Whatever it was she was planning, it wasn't a job for a five-year old all on her own. Besides, he owed her for the way he had acted, and for pulling her into the past in the first place.  
The house was very quiet without all of the older teens inside. They were out, all over the world he was sure, searching for the missing children. Asahi hated that there were little kids missing. Hated that anyone out there had to feel the pain he had been enduring for so long..

The door creaked and Asahi grinned as Mako gasped when she saw him. "Going somewhere?" he asked.

Her mouth opened and closed several times while she looked at him in horror. Then she squared her shoulders and stood tall. "I'm going to save my friend," she whispered. "You can't stop me."  
Asahi nodded. "I won't. I'm going with you. We all are."

Mako gasped. The door opened again behind her and the girls piled out into the hallway. He pressed his own door open and the boys appeared in seconds, until everyone was there, ready to go.  
"You'll help me?" Mako asked.

"We will," Chibi-Usa said, wrapping an arm around Chibi-Mako's shoulder. "We're going to help you find your friend. And while we're at it, we're going to find Heliodor and get her home too. I'm sorry we didn't include you before," she added, a frown crossing her features for a second. "But I guess it worked out because now you know your friend is in trouble."

Chibi-Mako nodded. "He is. If that was his brother, he's mean and Peruru looked scared of him."  
Asahi smiled. He could understand her need to help the boy. He'd sensed a change in her from the moment she had returned. He suspected the missing boy was her soulmate. He'd heard his parents discuss it far into the future. Her soulmate was someone who was lost and needed to find the truth and she would lead him to it.

He had a feeling there was more to the story though.

"How are we getting past Grandma-Ikuko?" Mushi asked.

Chibi-Mamo grinned. "She's baking again. She won't hear us go out the back door."

They walked cautiously down the stairs, avoiding the third step from the top when Takeo reminded them that it creaked. They stepped over it and continued down and out into the long back hallway. Asahi opened the door as quietly as he could and the kids slipped out into the night.

Chibi-Mamo and Yuzuki went first, then Chibi-Usa and Helios. A moment later Takeo slipped outside holding onto Tentomushi's hand. Asahi looked back and saw Chibi-Mako glance once over her shoulder before she too slipped into the night. He followed, closing the foor behind him.

They slipped into the yard and hid in the shadows as they made their way around the building. Asahi breathed a sigh of relief when they reached the sidewalk. They clustered together as they walked. He stayed close to Mako, determined to protect her in any way he could. They would stick together until they found their soulmates. It was his fault she'd been dragged through the time vortex.

"Does anyone hear that?" Yuzuki asked, looking around.

"Hear what?" Chibi-Mamo asked.

"Music!" Takeo said, peering into the darkness. "I hear music."

"It sounds familiar," Mako said, frowning. "Very familiar."'

Asahi finally heard it too. He started searching around him, but he didn't see anything. The sounds were bouncing off the buildings, echoing from one to another. He didn't know which direction to go.  
"This way," Chibi-Mako said, and tugged on his sleeve. "It's coming from there," she pointed into the darkness. Clusterng around her, the rest of them followed.

The music grew louder and louder. After a short time they could hear children singing. There were dozens and dozens of them walking through the streets, but they didn't seem to see where they were going or have any idea what they were doing. It worried Asahi. He didn't like it.

"That's Poupelin," Chibi-Mako said suddenly. "He's Peruru's brother. The one that said they had to obey a queen. Peruru didn't want to go, but his brother made him."

"They're the ones stealing children?" Chibi-Usa asked, sounding angry. "Those kids don't even know what's happening!"

"Lets sneak in with the others," Chibi-Usa suggested. "Maybe we can figure out a way to stop this."  
The others all agreed and they pretended to be caught in the tide.

* * *

_***Agate's POV***_

Agate couldn't be sure what had woken him. He had been a light sleeper since he had escaped from his sister with the little girl she had kidnapped. In the year they had been free, he had guarded and protected little Heliodor, wishing he knew who her parents were so he could take her home. As much as he loved the little one, the way she cried out for someone in her sleep broke his heart. He knew he had to keep searching, but it felt hopeless.

They lived in a tiny little apartment, hardly bigger than a postage stamp. It had only one room with a tiny kitchenette and a miniature bathroom. They had a bunkbed, a small table, and a couple of chairs for their only furniture. Sitting up, he glanced around, but saw nothing amiss. Until he looked at the door.

It was open slightly. Panic set in immediately. He looked down onto the bottom bunk. The blankets were thrown back and Heliodor was missing. Leaping from his own bed, he searched the bathroom and kitchenette, then tore out of their apartment and looked up and down the long hallway. A little boy in green pajama's was just entering the stairwell, singing something under his breath. He could hear more voices echoing in the concrete stairwell before the door slammed shut.

Racing to the end of the hall, he opened the door again. Dozens of kids were going down the stairs. They trooped from floors above his as well, blocking his path for a long moment. As soon as he could move without hurting any of them, he raced down the stairs, dodging around stray children as he screamed for Heliodor.

He ran into the night after them, hollering to the security guard to contact the police. The man looked almost as panicked as Agate felt. "What can the police do?" he called, but Agate was already gone, drawn into the ever growing crowd of children. More streamed from other buildings nearby until it was an overwhelming force of mindlessly singing kids.

"Heliodor!" he screamed, searching for her. He realized they were getting closer and closer to the closest marina and his searching grew more wild. "Heliodor!"

Suddenly he could see several of the Senshi, also calling out for children. They raced through the night towards him. One caught his eye as he searched and screamed for Heliodor. She turned into the crowd, trying to stop one of the kids, but the little one continued to walk in spite of her efforts. Her thick red hair, pulled into a braid with white flowers, was pulled over her shoulders, clenched in a fist. She seemed nearly as panicked as he felt. Not one of the original Senshi though, he knew. He had seen them more times than he could count. No, this was one of the new ones.

"Heliodor!" he screamed again. And then he saw her. The little girl with bright red hair and vivid green eyes looked as though she was in some sort of trance. He raced to her and grabbed her shoulders. She didn't look up at him. They were nearing the water now and he could see a massive wooden boat. The kids were climbing into it.

"Heliodor," he said, shaking her. "Heliodor, please wake up!" His mind raced with panic as he tried to make her stir. Then, from one moment to the next, it was as though she became aware of him again.

"Uncle Agate?" she asked. "What's going on."

"Heliodor!" he shouted, picking her up and holding her close.

"Have a taste of my bob-bon babies!" came a shout. Agate turned and saw strange creatures that looked like candy being thrown at him and the Senshi and their helpers. He ducked, but something hit him from behind.

"Uncle Agate!" Heliodor screamed as one of the strange candy creatures snatched her from his arms. "Help me!"

"Heliodor!" he screamed, and let out a burst of pure white energy. "Heliodor!"

* * *

_***Koan's POV***_

Koan, in henshin as Fire Warrior, her new hero persona, searched through the crowd of children, crying out for the missing little ones. She and Berthier, Rain Warrior, had gone to check in when they'd found a frantic Ikuko screaming that the children were missing. Usagi and Mamoru arrived within moments of the discovery, and though they looked worried, it wasn't to the same degree as Ikuko.

"They have a communicator," Usagi had admitted. "They were planning something. I could tell, so I ordered Chibi-Usa to take one. Maybe they're just out searching for Chibi-Mako's friend and for Heliodor."

It hadn't been long before the real panic had sunk in, when Usagi had realized the children weren't answering the communicator. The others had been recalled, and now they were out in force, searching the night for any signs of the little ones.

Others were out too. Parents who hadn't been sleeping, or who'd been woken by some instinct warning them of the danger. A red-haired man was out there, screaming a name over and over, but she didn't pay him much attention at first. She dragged her braid over her shoulder and squeezed it, crushing some of the flowers.

"Chibi-Usa! Mushi! Takeo!" she heard the others shouting. "Chibi-Mako! Helios! Yuzuki!" they called.  
"Asahi!" she screamed. "Chibi-Mamo?" she was beginning to lose hope they would find them.  
Then the man who had been screaming near by let out a relieved sound. He shook the shoulders of a red-haired girl and then he was picking her up and she hugged him. That was a good thing. Even one child saved was a miracle. There was no way to stem the tide, or to save them all. She didn't know what to do.

Then they were being attacked. She saw Sailor Moon knocked to the ground by something round that reminded her of candy. The man behind her screamed out and she heard the little girl crying for him. Something had hit him too, but he wasn't... her thought stopped when he let out a burst of bright white light and knocked one of the strange candy monsters out of the air, but the little girl was already out of reach, hovering over the large wooden ship.

"Heliodor!" the man screamed, closer to her now. When she heard the name she turned to look at him. She knew that name. That was the same name as the missing girl. What's more, it wasn't a Japanese name, which meant it was likely the same little girl they were searching for.

The child screamed out, "Uncle Agate! Help me!" and the man raced towards the ship, but the last of the children were being loaded and there was no way to reach them. The girl disappeared, and the other children had not been found.

Sailor Moon lifted up off the ground, her royal form appearing, wings spread. "Stop!" she shouted, and the bright silvery sheen of her protection dome surrounded the ship, stopping it from taking off. Her hands stayed held up as she apparently strained to hold it.

"Protect Sailor Moon!" Fire Warrior called out, knowing that if something distracted her the dome would fail and the children would disappear.

She and the others raced to circle Sailor Moon. The man, Uncle Agate, or whoever he was, did the same, knocking one of the 'bon-bon babies,' out of the sky with a burst of light.

And then something strange happened. One moment they were fighting a battle to save the children, and in the next they were all inside a gingerbread house, looking at walls made of gingerbread and frosting, a table made from a huge chocolate bar, and chairs made from little peppermints and licorice.

"What's happening?" Sailor Moon asked, surprised. She stepped towards the table involuntarily, as though she wanted nothing more than to take a bite.

Fire Warrior raced to her and shook her shoulders. "This can't be real!" she screamed.  
Agate, who was just behind her, was screaming again. "They're taking the children! Stop them!" he cried, and then he was running, weeping, but he didn't get anywhere."

They all heard someone shouting.

"Don't take them Poupelin!" cried a young boy.

"Get on the ship Peruru!" an older boy shouted. "Obey the Queen!"

"Queen Badiane is lying!" the boy, Peruru, yelled. "They need to go home. Let them go home."  
"They'll be happier dreaming forever," the other one, Poupelin said, his voice angry.

"No they won't! They need their moms and dads! Queen Badiane is lying!" he said again. "Let them go home. Please!"

"You only care because of your friend. You are betraying us!"

"Chibi-Mako is my friend," Peruru yelled. "She made me see that its the sad things that make the good stuff better. Please! Don't take them!"

There was a loud shout and a boy appeared inside the illusion, lying on his back. He was crying, obviously in pain, and not becuase he had been hit. Jupiter raced to his side. "Peruru!" she yelled. She gathered him into her arms, holding him protectively.

A minute later the illusion disappeared. They could see the ship, far in the distance. The children were gone. The man, Agate, slumped to the ground, sobbing. Not sure why, Fire Warrior went to him, resting a hand on his shoulder. Perhaps he was the one who kidnapped the girl, but she doubted it. He obviously cared about her, and the child wasn't afraid of him.

"What do we do now?" Sailor Moon asked, falling to her knees. "The children..." her voice trailed off.  
A little voice spoke from within Jupiter's arms. "I can help you find them," Peruru said, hiccoughing. "We will need to get my ship."

Sun Knight was staring at the fleeting glimpse of the ship in the distance. He turned then, head bowed, and began walking back towards the others.

Fire Warrior called to him. "Sun Knight, come here!" she said, excitement tinging her voice in spite of their recent failure. She half dragged Agate and Sun Knight away. "Release your henshin," she hissed.

Sun Knight did as she asked, and Agate stared at him in shock.

* * *

_***Chibi-Usa's POV***_

"Stay together," she whispered, herding the others towards a shadowy place on the ship. Several children were already there, huddled in fear. They must have woken during the battle.

One girl looked up at her, and Chibi-Usa let out a gasp of recognition. She knew those eyes. Knew that hair. Knew that face. Heliodor was perhaps six years old, which didn't seem possible, but it was true. She had her mother's face and her father's eyes and hair.

"Heliodor?" she asked, and heard Asahi's gasp as he turned toward them.

"Y-yes," the girl said.

"Heliodor!" Asahi almost shouted the name, racing toward her. He threw his arms around the girl and then he was crying. "I knew we would find you," he said. "I knew it."

"Is it really her?" Chibi-Mako said, sounding shocked. She was crying too. She had been since she'd seen Peruru fall. "Did we really find her?"

"You know me?" the girl asked. "Uncle Agate has been searching for my family, but he couldn't find them."


	5. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:** First, let me just say how very sorry I am that this story didn't get finished in time for Father's day. I really wanted to get it done, but there was a lot going on. There still is. That doesn't mean the story won't be finished. It definitely will, because I am determined to continue this series. It just might take a bit longer.

Some of you wrote to me wondering why I didn't do a Fourth of July story. Let me just explain that the Fourth is an American holiday, though I do have a plan that might bring it up in the future. Who knows. At this point I have a million ideas and no time to write them all. Lol.

My computer is down for the count... Mostly. There is a little hope, using sticky notes, but I can only keep the internet browser open for just under two minutes, so I have to transfer fast.

Unfortunately, my personal life is sort of in crisis at the moment. The house we've been renting for a very long time was sold in a tax sale. The long and short of it is that we were given until the 7th to leave. Right now we are talking with the lawyer for the new owners, hoping to get an extension, but we can't be certain what will happen, so if you pray, please do so.

Now that I've bored you with my personal problems, onto the story. Happy reading and please send reviews. I need all the encouragement I can get at this point!

**Warning:** Lemon

* * *

**Dedication: A Mother's and Father's Day Story**  
**Holiday Series: Book Five**  
**Chapter Four **  
**Hopes and Fears**

* * *

_***Nephrite (East Knight's) POV***_

Peruru had lapsed into unconsciousness. Jupiter wasn't sure what to do for him and was in a near panic, making East Knight nervous. He pulled her and the little boy both up and held onto them. He would be able to help them find little Mako and the others, but he couldn't do that if he was hurt.

Tuxedo Kamen reached them, putting his hand on the young boy's head. Golden light sprang from his hand and into the child, healing his injuries, but the boy stayed asleep. Jupiter looked frantic when he didn't automatically wake.

All around them parents and police were swarming the marina, screaming and crying. Sailor Moon made a sound and Tuxedo Kamen rushed to her side, leaving East unsure what his next step should be.

"Take him back to the house," Moon called. "Let us calm people down and then we can get back and track the communicator I gave Chibi-Moon." He hesitated but she waved a hand at him. "Go. We'll be there soon."

East held tight to Jupiter and teleported her and the boy with him back to the house.

Ikuko was standing in the middle of the room, her hands covering her face. When they arrived she looked up and hurried to take the boy. "What's wrong with him?" she asked, looking worried.

"He's only sleeping, I think," Jupiter said, then released her henshin as Ikuko cuddled the child. "I think he might be some sort of dream fairy," she added touching one of his gossamer wings.

"Well, whoever, or whatever, he is," Ikuko said softly, "right now what he needs is a bit of rest and some loving care. I've got him. You two can rest for a bit," she added, smiling at them.

Jupiter opened her mouth to argue, but Ikuko pointed to the stairway as she lifted the little one onto her shoulder. "Go," she ordered. "Take half an hour. You're upset and afraid. You need to calm yourselves and refocus or you can't do what you need to do."

"I uh, okay," Makoto said, frowning.

Having released his own henshin, Nephrite smiled at Ikuko-mama and pulled Makoto into his arms, feeling lost and unsure. Little Mako was missing. He could tell his soulmate was just as worried and upset as he was, but didn't know what to do to help her.

They left the meeting room and climbed the stairs. He knew they should probably go back out and help the others, but he wasn't ready, and he wanted to be there when Peruru woke up. Besides, no one argued with Ikuko. It wasn't a good idea.

Makoto followed Nephrite into his room. They both sat at the end of his bed, staring out the window, unsure what they should do next. He wanted to hurry and wake the boy so they could go after their daughter, but he knew the child was probably in need of the rest. Feeling uncertain and at a loss, he fidgeted and fretted.

"We'll see her again," Makoto said softly. She didn't look as certain as she sounded. Nephrite could almost feel her worry as a palpable thing.

Nephrite nodded, but couldn't speak. He wanted to protect their future daughter, and he had failed. It broke his heart that she was in danger. He heard Makoto sniffle and pulled her up against him, wrapping an arm around her waist. He knew he should say something, but no words came out. Instead he just held her close, praying they could find the little girl who already meant so much to them.

Makoto wasn't idle. She ran her hand up and down his back, making soothing sounds. He realized he had tears on his cheeks and swiped them away before turning to look at her. She was weeping too. Instinctively he pulled her into his arms, not able to do anything else. She rested her head on his chest and they clung together, both praying for something that would give them hope.

Then Makoto tilted her head up. One hand reached around his neck and she pulled his face to hers for a kiss. It was gentle and affectionate, sweet and loving, but underneath there was a hint of desperation. He held her tighter, pulling her even closer to himself as he lay back on the bed. His legs were still over the side, feet on the floor, and now her entire weight was resting on him, making him feel better. Somehow having her close helped. He wanted to be even closer, and wished they had already reforged their Soul-Bond.

Makoto wasn't still. She turned herself so she was straddling his hips and began kissing him more wildly, nipping at his lip as her fingers went to the collar of his shirt. Surprised, he pulled his face away, but when he met her eyes he saw need and determination. She wanted comfort and love in a desperate moment. He worried it was still too soon, but she was unbuttoning his shirt and her hands were on his chest, making him feel things he had never felt before.

Heat welled up in him, and a need and desire rushed through him as she stripped his shirt off, lifting him slightly until she tugged it off his arms and threw it.

"Are you sure?" he asked, wondering if it was the best time to decide something so important.

"I need you right now," she murmured, her face going to his neck. When her lips touched his skin he felt like he would explode. He turned them over so that she was on her back, further up in the bed and began kissing her in earnest even as she tugged at her own shirt. She pulled it off, knocking him away for a moment, then she bowed up in the bed as she removed her bra.

"Pants. Now," she ordered, and Nephrite couldn't do anything but obey.

Standing up, he tugged his jeans and underwear off, then reached for her stretchy pants and pulled them and her panties down in one motion. He climbed back onto the bed, hovering over her, still worried. He didn't want to hurt her, and he was a big man, not just in height and muscles. He glanced down at himself, wondering if it was right to continue. Makoto apparently sensed his worry, because she pushed him over onto his back and took over.

* * *

_***Makoto (Sailor Jupiter's) POV***_

Mind made up, Makoto launched herself at Nephrite. She needed him more than she could express. She needed comfort and to be close to him, to know that everything was going to be alright. To know that they were together, and they would find their future daughter and save her.

She was having a hard time controlling herself. She knew they had both been ready to take the next step for weeks, but they had put it off, worried about changing things perhaps, or in Nephrite's case, worried about Kenji's reaction. But she couldn't wait anymore. She needed him. Not just the physical comfort and intimacy. She needed the Soul-Bond. She needed to feel him in her mind, know where he was and that he was okay.

Right now she didn't know where Chibi-Mako was, or if she was frightened. She wanted to hold her future daughter, to be near her, and she couldn't. She needed Nephrite to make it better, needed him to be with her completely.

Because of that, in spite of his slight protestations, Makoto knew it was time. She met his eyes, making sure he was as ready as she was, before she guided him to her entrance. They couldn't wait. It had to be now. She didn't bother to let herself grow nervous. She knew he wouldn't hurt her, no matter what.

When she pressed down over him, sliding the tip into herself, she gasped. He was even bigger than she had imagined. Still, she was determined. She needed him, deep inside her. Now.

She bit her lip and pressed harder. She wasn't entirely sure what to expect. Each of the other girls had described it differently when they were stretched open and when their hymen broke, but when she pressed hard onto him, hers didn't immediately break and she gasped at the pain of it.

As she panted through it, Nephrite frowned, then turned her over onto her back, pulling out slightly as he kissed her until she felt mindless with passion. He moved fast then, lunging into her hard, breaking the barrier quickly. It was more than a pinch, but not nearly as painful as her first attempt.

Brilliant light surrounded them, shades of green and silver and gold swirled through it as music sounded in the room. She could feel a rush of warm air as a breeze wafted over them while a dome formed over their heads.

It was hard to pay attention to any of that when she was feeling so full of him. Pleasure swamped her and she smiled, looking up at him and wiggling her hips so he knew she was okay. Then they were moving, their bodies colliding again and again until something inside her peaked and she felt like she was flying through the air, only Nephrite's arms holding her in place. She screamed as the ecstasy hit her and then she heard him let out a roar as his hips pumped wildly and something else filled her, wet and hot.

Suddenly her mouth opened and she spoke, in unison with Nephrite. "I possess and am possessed. Forever mated and unified with you. I will protect and cherish, hold and succor until my dying breath." A rush of memories filled her mind before fading, to be called on when needed.

When they were able to think again, they stared at one another, both panting heavily. "Wow," Nephrite said, obviously feeling as overwhelmed as she was.

"Uh huh," she murmured, then grinned. Soon they would have to get up and dressed. The boy couldn't possibly sleep much longer and she was sure Luna and Artemis were downstairs wondering what was keeping them, but for just a moment longer she wanted to be held. She needed the closeness.

Nephrite bent his head and kissed her again as he pulled out, leaving a trail of wetness that made her blush. She wasn't used to this sort of intimacy, though now she could remember it from their previous lives. It wasn't the same though. Their lives were different. They were different.

Both of them were blushing as they pulled their clothing on, and Makoto couldn't stop feeling a bit guilty. Not only because she had pressured him, but because she knew they could have been out calming other parents, or downstairs helping their feline guardians, or even taking care of Peruru.

Nephrite caught her face with both hands and kissed her again. "Don't," he said, his voice soft but firm. "You were right. We both needed that. We're about to face an unknown enemy. Even if the Bond didn't strengthen us and connect us I would still have wanted that moment. And there is nothing we can do until the little one wakes. If he already had, someone would have come to get us."

Makoto nodded, letting herself rest against his firm chest for a long moment before they both turned for the door. Her mind was already focused on what enemy they might be facing, and how to rescue the children. They made it downstairs and when she caught sight of the time, she frowned. Hardly any time had passed at all. Barely half an hour. That didn't seem right. It had felt like a million years.

They found Ikuko in the living room, Peruru held in her lap as she rocked slightly from side to side. It was rather obvious she was taking comfort from having the child in her arms. Kenji stood on the other side of the room, pacing back and forth as he spoke rapidly but softly into his cell phone. No one else had returned.

Worried, Makoto reached for her communicator and called Mercury. It was a few seconds before the Senshi answered and her eyes were bright with unshed tears. "I promise, we'll be there soon," she said. "Right now the only thing holding these people together is Usagi. I think it's on the news though."

"Okay," Makoto said, speaking softly so she didn't wake Peruru or interfere with Kenji's call. "Stay safe."

Mercury nodded and ended the communication. Makoto turned to Nephrite, who opened his arms for her. She snuggled against him, struggling with her worry and fear for her future daughter. For a few minutes she had been able to push it into the background, but it was an overwhelming need to hold the girl in her arms. She could feel Nephrite's emotions as strongly as her own and knew he was feeling she same.

::We will find her,:: Nephrite said into her mind.

Makoto nodded. ::I know. I can't help but worry though. It's all so new and strange, having someone so precious depend on us. I only want to protect her. To keep her safe.::

::I know my love. We will find her and hold her close.:: Nephrite kissed her forehead and squeezed her closer. Somehow his presence was enough to push away the rising panic yet again.

* * *

_***Agate (Pure Light Knight's) POV***_

His heart was cracking into a million pieces. He had found Heliodor's parents, and he couldn't hand her to them. "I've been trying to find her family since I ran from my sister," he said, frowning. "I didn't know you were so close."

The one named Setsuna, who had long green hair, some pulled up into a tiny bun, the rest loose down her back, wore a small frown. She was holding her arms over her belly, a worried look in her eyes. "We didn't know," she explained. "Usagi says she's our youngest daughter, but we haven't had any children yet."

Agate nodded. "She was taken from the future. Far in the future," he added. "My sister had a special Youma that could travel in time and through alternate timelines. She destroyed it after she took the girl so that no one would know where to take her. I guess she didn't trust any of us." He frowned, remembering all the horrible things his sister had done to him and the others.

"Who was your sister?" the girl name Koan asked.

"Beryl," he said softly. He saw the look of recognition on the faces of Haruki and Setsuna, though to his knowledge they had never fought against her. "When I realized what her plans were for the little girl," he shuddered. "I couldn't let it happen. So I took her and hid. I released the others before I left. Bane and Paden and the Oracle. They're all here in the city, hiding, like me."

"That must have been around the time she captured the Shitennou," Haruki said.

Agate nodded. "It was one of the last things I was forced to do before I escaped," he admitted. "But they were unreachable, and I had to get Heliodor out. She was going to turn the girl into a weapon and aim her at you," he explained. "I didn't know who you were, but she thought it was hilarious that she would make your daughter kill you both. Then she planned to stop the dark energy and let her discover who you were. I couldn't let that happen. Not after everything else."

"I'm so sorry," Koan said, patting his shoulder. "That must have been so awful."

He could only nod. Now his focus had to be on getting Heliodor back. "We have to save those kids," he said. He could see the determination on the faces of the others, but he was distracted when Sailor Moon, who was in the center of the roadway, lifted her arms.

"Please calm down," she said, and though she wasn't yelling, her voice could be heard by everyone around them. Slowly the crowd quieted and all eyes were directed towards the young woman, who was looking around at the worried and grieving parents with understanding.

"Three of my children and several more that I love were taken as well," she said, her voice whisper soft. "Please know I understand what you are going through. The worry and the fear. It hurts and you want nothing more than to hold them in your arms," she sniffled. Then her shoulders straightened and her head lifted higher.

"Not long ago you trusted us to save you from Nemesis. I'm asking you to trust us again. I will not rest until those children are brought home. I will bring them back to you, but I need all of you here and anyone else who is listening who has a missing child, or children, to be very calm and do something for me. The police here in Japan and in the other countries with missing children are even now forming a list and getting ready to give your children back to you. They are going to mobilize at an arena where there will be enough room for all the children when we bring them back.

"I need all of you to go there. Bring some sort of identification for yourself, and if you can, a birth certificate for your child and a photograph. This will make sure that your children get back into your arms safely. The location will be annouced shortly on the news and I will make sure it is put on every billboard and every radio station will air it as well. I am so sorry that you are going through this pain and I hope to make sure they are home, safe and sound, before morning if possible. We have a way to locate them now and soon we will be leaving. Please pray to the Kami for all of them, and for us as we must face an unknown enemy."

There was a moment of silence as she finished speaking, and then it sounded like a million voices rang out at once, but Agate noticed the parents were less upset, and were organizing themselves into groups and moving away from the arena. They had hope now, and that was better than they'd had only moments before. Agate felt hopeful as well.

The police moved in and started leading people away slowly, most of them looking upset themselves, and Agate thought many of them probably had missing children of their own. He didn't know how Sailor Moon had calmed all of them. He certainly felt calmer himself. The promise of help warmed him, making him certain that something could be done to bring Heliodor and the others back safely.

* * *

_***Chibi-Mako (Chibi Jupiter's) POV***_

There were half a dozen children awake and aware aside from themselves and Heliodor. While Asahi rushed to reassure himself that the girl was okay, Mako turned to the frightened kids and told them they were there to help. The little ones were all around her age or younger, and seemed to be terrified. She wished there was some way she could make them feel better.

"I want my mommy," one little girl said with a trembling voice, her hands clutched around a tiny blue bunny with long floppy ears.

"I want to go h-home," a younger boy said. He looked to be about three, and he was on the verge of tears. Mako patted him on the shoulder and he threw his arms around her.

She felt bad. Mostly because even though she was afraid, she wasn't nearly as scared as the kids. She had seen what her mommy and daddy could do. And her Auntie Usa and Uncle Mamo were even more powerful. She knew in her heart they would stop at nothing to bring them back.

Chibi-Usa hurried over to her and the other kids. "I've got the communicator," she whispered, pulling it from her subspace pocket and attaching it to her wrist. "Mommy and Daddy can follow us," she explained, looking at the other little ones.

Chibi-Mako smiled, looking at the little boy who was clinging to her. "See," she said, "It will all be okay."

* * *

_***Koan (Fire Warrior's) POV***_

"We have to go get the little ones now," Agate insisted, for what seemed to be the twentieth time.

Koan sighed and, looking him straight in the eye, she explained, "We need Peruru. He has a ship, one that probably has access to where they're being held."

Agate frowned, looking around the meeting room at the other warriors, then turned back to her. "We can't afford to wait. The signal is there. Let's just teleport to wherever the children are," he argued.

Koan shook her head. "We could end up putting them in more danger. We need to see what the little one knows."

With a sigh, Agate ran his fingers through his hair and stepped closer, towering over her. His long red hair now a tangled mess. "I can't just leave her out there unprotected," he said, his eyes burning with intensity. "I promised to protect her until I could get her to her family."

"I'm telling you, we need the boy," Koan said, becoming far less patient, though she knew he was worried because he cared for the child.

"I thought we were going right away," he said, looking around at the others who were preparing as best they could. Meanwhile, Koan was unable to get anything done because the young man was following her around arguing.

"Look," Koan said, frustrated beyond belief, "you're just going to have to trust us. All of us have experience with fighting dark forces, and we won't give up. We love those kids."

"I'm sorry, but I just can't blindly trust. Never again," Agate added under his breath. "I know you're all probably very nice people and all, but I've been taking care of Heliodor for over a year. She's my responsibility. I say we need to get moving. Now."

Koan let out a frustrated scream, and threw her hands up in the air. "I get it. Don't trust anyone. I do. But you need to stop thinking everything has to be your way and learn to work with a team. We have a plan!"

Agate reached out and grabbed her by the shoulders. "I don't care about your plan! I care about Heliodor!"

Shoving at his chest, Koan tried to pull away. "You are so stubborn!" she screamed. "Why can't you just listen to someone else for five minutes!"

"What gives you the right to tell me what to do?" Agate asked, hos hands squeezing her arms convulsively. He was obviously on the verge of panic.

"If you don't calm the hell down," Koan screamed, "you will stay here while we rescue them!" She'd had enough. He might be hot as sin, but he was driving her crazy.

"You can't tell me what to do!" Agate insisted, pulling her closer.

"I can and I will!" she yelled.

"Both of you calm down," Rei said, moving to approach them.

They both turned their heads and glared at the priestess before looking back at one another. Koan felt as though her whole body was on fire, and she wasn't sure just what to do about it, until Agate pulled her right up against his chest. "I am going!" he insisted.

"Then calm down," she screamed, feeling anything but calm herself.

Agate was shaking, seeming to vibrate against her. "I am calm," he said, lying through his teeth.

"No you aren't," Koan said, moving closer. She put one hand on his chest where his heart was pounding so hard she could feel it through his t-shirt.

"You want me to calm down?" Agate asked in a growling tone. "I'll calm down when you do," he said, then lowered his head and kissed her.

Koan moaned and kissed him hard, opening for his insistent tongue. He pulled her tighter to him and she lifted her arms, wrapping them around his neck to pull him closer as well. His tongue tasted of coffee and his lips were hot, dry against her own. She swirled her tongue around his and sucked down on it, hearing him moan in response.

"Wow," she heard someone whisper. "Talk about sparks."

"They're going to light the place on fire," someone else added, and then Agate was lifting his head and she pulled back startled to see the others staring at them in wonder.

Koan was startled to realize she was somehow in his arms, her legs wrapped around Agate's waist, and they were both panting heavily. She instantly lowered her legs and tried to step back, a bit embarrassed, but Agate didn't let go. His hand came up and he cupped her cheek softly, his eyes seeming to glow for a moment, before he bent and kissed her lips much more gently. She felt like she could float away with the simple touch.

"So, uh," Rei said, smiling like she had just won a prize, "Peruru is awake."

She and Agate both turned to look at the miko, stunned. "Huh?" she asked, feeling as though she had lost most of her brain cells.

"You two were screaming so loud you could have woken the dead. He is awake and ready to go. That is, if you two are finished kissing," she added grinning.

* * *

_***Heliodor (Sailor Sun Rise's) POV***_

Heliodor was feeling nervous and afraid, but somehow, she also felt like she was home. And it all stemmed from the kids surrounding her, mostly the boy who was now holding her hand.

"I don't understand," she whispered. "You came from the future to get me, but I was a baby when I was taken less than a year ago?"

Asahi nodded. "It doesn't make a lot of sense," he agreed. "Auntie Puu deals with time, not me. I don't understand it." He shook his head. "I don't know how you grew up and are our age, I just know you did. You look just like your mom and dad," he added, smiling. "You have your mom's face, but his hair and eyes, and freckles," he said, pointing to the trio of them on her nose.

"So you know them? Have they been looking for me?" she asked.

"We all have. The ones in this time didn't know about you, but in the future they miss you lots," Chibi-Usa explained.

Heliodor looked around at the group of kids. There were half a dozen huddled together who weren't as confident as the others. Those were all kids from this time. The ones who were standing around looking brave all seemed almost familiar to her, as though she had known them all her life. She didn't understand it, but she guessed she didn't have to.

"I think we're almost wherever we're going," Chibi-Mamo said, looking out over the edge of the ship. "We need to hide these other kids. Leave the communicator with them and when Mom and Dad get here someone can teleport them to safety."

"How are we going to save the others?" Tentomushi asked, staring at the children who were still standing around singing, completely unaware of their surroundings. "We can't wake them up, so what should we do?"

"We're going to have to sneak in there," Helios said, looking at a strange castle-like base in the distance. "Someone in there is messing with people's dreams. That's what is holding these kids," he added, looking angry. "No one should be messing with those. Dreams are special. They aren't meant to be a trap."

Heliodor thought he must have some special affinity for dreams. He almost seemed to be part unicorn with the golden horn on his forehead. Maybe he was magic too. She looked at the others. They all seemed like they were ready for a fight.

"Have you transformed yet?" Asahi asked, squeezing her fingers gently.

"Transformed?" she asked. "You mean like Uncle Agate does?" She shook her head. "I'm too young."

"You're older than I am," Chibi-Mako said, grabbing her other hand. "If I can do it, so can you. It'll be okay."

"What do I do?" she asked.

* * *

_***Usagi (Sailor Moon's) POV***_

Usagi clung to her mother for a long moment. "They're okay," she said.

"How do you know?" Ikuko asked, looking very worried.

Usagi wasn't sure how to explain it. She bit her lip, trying to find the right words. "Do you remember when Akiko died?" she asked. Her mother nodded, looking sad at the memory. "Do you remember how you knew before you got the call? How you just started crying, and Haruki did too, and then me and Shingo. We were little and didn't understand it, but you walked over to the phone and just waited."

Usagi remembered the day well. Her aunt had been planning to take Haruki with her, but she and Shingo had both been screaming that he had to stay. She'd dreamed about a green-haired girl who said if he left he would die, so they had both held onto him and wouldn't let him leave. She now knew it had been Setsuna, trying to protect her soulmate.

"I remember," Ikuko said softly.

"I would know," Usagi said. "I would know if my babies were hurt. I think the Crystal would tell me, or maybe it's a sort of mental connection. I knew they were planning something, and I knew it was important that they do whatever it was they were planning. I just knew mom. I can't explain it. But I would know if something happened to them. Can you understand that?"

Ikuko nodded, gave a tremulous smile, and hugged Usagi tight for a long minute. "Bring them home," she whispered.

"I will," Usagi promised. She turned and hugged her father, watching as Rei and Jadeite both hugged Grandfather Hino and Ami and Zo both hugged Doctor Mizuno. When she turned she saw Mamoru hugging her mother.

"It's time," she said, moving towards the teleportation area. She let her henshin take her without the normal ribbons and sparkles, something she had learned when she'd accepted her birthright, and hurried to gather with the others, most of whom had already transformed. She could see Agate holding Koan's hand and smiled. She had a feeling they had been meant to meet.

Tuxedo Kamen took her hand and a moment later the group was complete. Young Peruru was between Jupiter and East Knight, looking a little nervous. They would be teleporting directly onto his ship and finding their way to the Marzipan Castle from there.

* * *

_***Chibi-Usa (Chibi Moon's) POV***_

They all hid in a tiny room beside the cabin at the back of the ship. They told the other children to be very quiet. Chibi-Usa watched out of a tiny round window as two other ships landed and the sleepwalking children were marched off. Then there was a thump as the one they were on touched the strange castle that looked a bit like a play land. The singing kids followed Poupelin off, and into a place of darkness.

They waited two minutes, Chibi-Mamo keeping time on the communicator, before he handed it to the oldest girl, who appeared to be six, possibly seven years old. "Wait here, and don't make a sound unless you see the Senshi," he said.

The girl nodded and all of the kids huddled together. Then her friends formed up, staying close as they snuck out the door. There was a board that ran down from the side to the surface below. They followed it down, all of them feeling a bit nervous being so high off the ground. There were no rails on the board.

"They went that way," Chibi-Usa whispered, pointing.

"Let's go," Asahi said, still holding Heliodor's hand.

Chibi-Usa watched to make sure they were all together before following. They walked into a dark area where they couldn't really see. In the distance there was a dim glow and they headed for it, staying as quiet as the could with nine kids.

Heliodor let out a gasp as they reached the end and Chibi-Usa hurried to see what had upset her. When she looked over the edge into the massive room below, her heart wanted to stop. Anger and fear warred within her as she stared in horror.

The room was filled with what looked like thousands of little glass coffins, hardly big enough for the children sleeping inside them. There were bare inches between them, and as they watched, the group of kids that had just been taken off the ship were led to a group of empty ones. They climbed in on their own, not knowing what they were doing. Each kid closed their eyes the moment the lid came down, trapping them inside.

"They need help," she said softly, praying her parents would come soon.


	6. Chapter 5

**Author's Note:** Hello all. I wanted to reassure you... I am not abandoning my stories. The past few weeks have been pretty rough. Packing and repacking, trying to figure out what to bring (since we can't take much), where we are going, and how we are getting there, and in the middle of all of it having a massive emotional meltdown. I am fine, and even though it may take longer to update my stories, I wont leave you hanging.

This chapter has been in the works for two weeks. I've actually been writing bits and pieces for all of my stories, as well as a new requested story, a couple one-shots, and some of my non-fanfiction work, which I hope to eventually publish. Unfortunately my mind has been a bit scattered and I hadn't been able to actually finish any of the chapters. But I hope this one makes up for the time away. There is more to come on this and my other stories.

* * *

**Dedication: A Mother's and Father's Day Story**  
**Holiday Series: Book Five**  
**Chapter Five**  
**Into the Night**

* * *

_***Asahi (Morning Light Knight's) POV***_

As they peered over the edge into the chasm below, Asahi felt a stir of air hit the back of his neck. He turned, worried, to find himself faced with two of the creatures that had been rounding up the children. He thought perhaps they were fairies of some sort, but couldn't be sure. He suddenly wished his father were there to tell him what to do. He clutched at Heliodor's hand, worried that she would be taken away from him.

A small voice spoke up to his left and he heard Chibi-Usa order them to henshin. The change was automatic. It was as though her mother or father had spoken. He couldn't stop himself from transforming had he wanted to. And he didn't want to.

Becoming Morning Light Knight in a bright flash of light, he felt heat welling up in his chest, filled with the raw power that was still largely unknown to him. Sailor Moon had told him that instinct and need would release his attacks, and he hoped it was true, because it looked as though they were in for a fight. He scanned the others to make sure they were still safe, while keeping the enemies in his line of sight.

Even as his own henshin took him, he was aware of Heliodor beside him. She was wreathed in flames for a long second. When he could see her clearly again, he noticed her fuku was a mix of colors. Reds, oranges, and yellows blended throughout the skirt and along her collar. She wore a black choker with a sun and an hourglass symbol and in her hand appeared a long golden staff toppered with a golden sun.

"You did it," Chibi-Moon said proudly, before turning completely toward the fairy-creatures.

Morning Light Knight wanted to cheer, but he couldn't lose focus. The two, called Bananu and Oranja were staring at them in shock. He wasn't sure what was next. He had seen the young version of his parents attempt to fight them and fail. He kept Chibi Moon and Chibi Kamen in his sight, taking his cues from them.

"Come with us," the one named Oranga called out. "We don't want to hurt you. Maybe if you understood what we were doing..." his voice trailed off as he stared at the children and Morning Light thought perhaps he was nervous.

"We will follow you," Chibi Kamen said, his voice carrying a weight he had never heard before. He sounded like his father.

Morning Light Knight and Sailor Sunrise clasped hands briefly and then he went to stand to the left of his prince while she stood to the right of her princess. The others formed a semicircle around them, and they let the two fairy creatures lead the way out into the cavern below. Dark, twisted hallways made him want to shiver, but he didn't let his fear show. He had to protect the others. Soon they were through and crossing the path that snuck through the center of the massive chamber towards a brightness at the end where power swirled menacingly in the air.

* * *

_***Usagi (Sailor Moon's) POV***_

Sailor Moon sighed, ducking her head as she stared out into the night. Below the flying ship they passed towns and empty valleys, rivers and lakes, and the massive edge of the ocean which seemed to go out into eternity. Lifting her head she gazed at the stars above, and endless see of black sprinkled with pinpricks of light that filled her with hope.

She wanted her babies back.

"We're going to rescue them," Tuxedo Kamen said, coming up behind her. His large hands wrapped around her, resting lightly over her waist as he lowered his chin to the top of her head. "We'll find them," he reiterated, with a sad sigh of his own.

"Is it just me," she asked, tilting her head back to meet the midnight blue of his gaze, "or are we forever missing our little ones?"

"It's not just you," Tuxedo Kamen murmured. "It feels like we say hello, then goodbye over and over again," he added.

"We won't be the only ones," Sailor Moon murmured, looking over to Sailor Jupiter and East Knight, who were clinging together. It would be a new experience for them and the others. But she knew there was a good reason for what they were facing.

"I know," he muttered, "but it doesn't make it any easier."

She could only nod her head, then look back out into the darkness. "What do you think is happening to all those missing kids?" she asked.

"I'm not sure," Kamen tapped his fingers against her hips. "Maybe it's time we asked."

She nodded and followed him towards the wheel where Peruru was adjusting their course. He seemed to know where he was going and how to get there, and Sailor Moon instinctively trusted him. She wasn't always right, but she had good instincts about people. She thought perhaps he cared greatly for Chibi-Mako. The little girl had a way about her, and even though it had been rough with the other children, she had seen the look of devastation on the little dream fairy's face when he realized she was gone.

They approached cautiously, not wanting to startle the boy, or make him think he was in trouble. They had both realized he didn't want to be involved but was being led by those who were older into something he didn't truly understand.

"Peruru?" she called softly.

"Hie?" the boy asked, looking nervous.

"Could you tell us a little more about what we should expect?" she asked. "What will we find when we get there? Where are all the children being kept?"

Peruru sniffled. "They aren't being hurt," he said, his voice shaking slightly. "They're in dream pods. All of them are asleep. They don't even know they aren't home," he added.

"Why are they sleeping? Is there a reason for it?" Sailor Moon asked, wondering what the purpose was.

The boy nodded. "Queen Badiane says the world is bad. She says little kids keep getting hurt and she wants to protect them." He frowned a little. "I don't understand all of it," he explained, "but she said that once there are a certain number of kids dreaming, she can put everyone to sleep. Then they wont ever be sad or afraid anymore," he added.

Sailor Moon frowned as she thought about his words. Perhaps this Badiane had been treated badly, like little Akane before she'd been reborn. She looked over to where An stood, and wondered about the mysterious queen. It seemed to her that often those who were bad-guys in their world had been twisted by something. Most of the time it was some evil force beyond their control, but sometimes it was life in general that twisted them.

What could have happened to Badiane? Anything, she thought sadly. Anything could happen to anyone at anytime. It wasn't always right or fair, and some people went through much more than others. She shook her head sadly. They would have to rescue the children, and if she could, she would rescue Badiane from whatever nightmare she was trapped inside.

* * *

_***Takeo (Golden Warrior's) POV***_

Golden Warrior clung tight to Sailor Ladybug's hand as they approached the lit end of the chamber. He could feel her shivering in fear and wanted to make it all better for her, but he didn't know how.

As they grew closer, he could see a woman standing at the other end of the room. Her clothing was a mixture of black, dark red, and cream. She carried a staff in her hand, a red starburst on the top, and wore an elaborate headdress that seemed to have a pair of wings coming from the top of her forehead. In his opinion she looked both scary and silly, though he didn't understand why.

Sailor Ladybug sucked in a breath and he turned to look at her. She was staring wide-eyed at the woman, looking very nervous. "She's going to attack us," she whispered.

Without any more warning, her words proved true as suddenly they were overwhelmed from all sides by strange round candy-looking monsters. He heard someone scream, and then he was falling forward, his head ringing from a blow he didn't see coming. He didn't even have a chance to cry out before he hit the ground.

Sailor Ladybug screamed for him and he turned his head to see that dozens of the little monsters had surrounded her and she was being lifted into the air. He reached out for her, only to find he too was being carried away. He struggled wildly, trying to reach her, but it was no use.

He clawed and hit and tried to use his attacks, but he couldn't reach his sword and he didn't remember any other way to hit them, or the words of his attacks. Tears of fear and anger streamed down his face as he was forced into one of the reddish chambers. And then his eyes closed and he was pulled into a dream as the chamber lid snicked shut over him.

* * *

_***Peruru (Dream Fairy's) POV***_

Peruru watched Sailor Moon cautiously. She was quiet, but she didn't seem angry. He didn't always understand what grown-ups were thinking. Maybe that was why he had followed Queen Badiane at first. His brother Poupelin certainly believed in her and he wondered why. What was it that the Queen had said to make them all so willing to do what she wanted?

He had seen the dream pods. They were small glass chambers where the children were held in a protected slumber where they would never have nightmares and wouldn't have to grow up. The Queen had said they would be happy and safe, but he couldn't stop thinking of Mako.

If they had both been dreaming, they never would have met. And from what she had said, it was important to face bad things. It made the good things even better. She was his friend, and he wanted to help her. He didn't want her to be asleep forever where he couldn't get to her. He wanted to talk to her and hear her giggle and make the cookies dance for her again.

They were approaching Marzipan Castle, and Peruru could feel himself growing more and more nervous. It was too quiet. He could see the outer rings of the structure in the distance and as they approached he moved towards the loading dock where the children usually disembarked. The closer they got the more colors he could see, but even so there was a deep crack along the side of the structure that was dark and filled with shadows. It was here they had to go, and he couldn't help the shiver that passed over him as the ship passed the edge.

* * *

_***Yuzuki (Far Moon Warrior's) POV***_

Far Moon was exhausted. Yuzuki wasn't used to battling, but that wasn't the whole problem. She was surrounded now, but the strange little monsters that had taken the others. First Mushi and Takeo had been grabbed and lifted through the air before being forced into chambers. They were in some sort of dream trance now, and she didn't know how to get to them.

Chibi-Moon and Chibi-Kamen faced off against the queen, looking as though they both wanted to cry. She had watched Helios get hit trying to protect Chibi-Usa. Little Mako-chan had lost her henshin and been grabbed. Then Heliodor and Asahi were collected. It left only her and the twins. And now she was being surrounded. She cried out for help, but there was none to be had.

It seemed as though she was heavily weighed down for a moment before she was lifted into the air, and then she saw the chamber ahead, empty and waiting for her. A burst of bright red light escaped from her, knocking dozens of the bon-bon babies away, but before she could make a run for it more appeared, and she was overwhelmed and forced into the chamber.

The last thing she heard before her eyes closed was Chibi Moon's scream and a shout that sounded very much like Tuxedo Kamen.

* * *

_***Mamoru (Tuxedo Kamen's) POV***_

Tuxedo Kamen was startled when the ship crashed into the surface of the floating fortress. It was much more than a castle, with large rings of buildings and a huge loading area which they passed into before suddenly hitting hard and overshooting their landing point.

He looked up to see three beings hovering over them. He remembered them from the marina in Tokyo and for a moment anger welled up within him. Shoving it down was difficult, but he tried to remind himself these dream faires had been brainwashed, turned against their purpose, like he had once been himself. If he could forgive himself, and Dimande, then he could forgive a couple fairies who didn't seem old enough to be in the battle as they were.

He could tell Poupelin, Peruru's brother, looked sad and worried. That would give Sailor Moon all the opening she needed. She could heal them, and that would be that. But he had a different mission.

Moments before they had touched down, Venus had approached and told them she'd tried to call the children. The communicator had been answered by a little girl she didn't reognize, who had informed her that the 'hero kids' had hidden them, telling them to wait for rescue. Now he had to get to them without the dream faries or their bon-bon babies noticing.

As the others attacked, he backed away and slid around the back of the cabin at the rear of the ship. He looked back to make sure no one had seen him leave, then leaped down. There were three other ships at the dock, each with a curling shell-like structure over them that must have served as some sort of sail. He wasn't sure which ship to approach, so he went to the closest one.

He could hear the battle raging behind him, but didn't spare a glance. Sailor Moon could be felt through the bond. She was alright, sad and worried, but healthy and unharmed. As he walked up the gangplank, he kept his head low so as not to be seen. Then he made his way to the rear cabin and opened the door silently.

"Hello?" he whispered. At first he thought he was on the wrong ship, but then he heard someone sniffle and hurried inside. There were half a dozen children huddled together in the dark. He knew he couldn't leave them on the ship. He would have to teleport them back to Tokyo and then come back. Thankfully because of his Soul-Bond to Sailor Moon he would be able to find the hidden base again.

"Come here kids," he said, spreading his arms out. The children rushed into his arms, weeping and sniffling. "I've got you," he said. "I'm going to take you home right now," he promised. Once he was sure each of them had a grip on him, he closed his eyes and teleported to the stadium the police had set up in back in Tokyo.

Several officers hurried forward to take the kids. "Is this all?" one of them, a young woman, asked.

Tuxedo Kamen shook his head. "Not nearly," he said. "These are just the ones our kids rescued," he explained. "We haven't gotten into the base yet," he added, "but we will. I have to go back now. I would expect us to be returning within an hour or two, but don't tell the parents that yet. I don't want them worrying if it's longer."

"Good luck Tuxedo Kamen-sama," the other officer said, bowing slightly. The young man looked worried and Kamen figured he probably had a child of his own missing. So many had been effected already. It was horrible to wake up and find your children gone.

"Arigato," he said softly, then spun on his heel and teleported back to the battle, hardly noticing the darkness and pressure that closed over him in the heartbeat it took to disappear.

The others were still engaged in their battle and Tuxedo Kamen saw his chance. He snuck up behind the three dream fairies and slowly lifted three vines to wind around all of them without notice. Sailor Moon caught his eye and in one motion he tightened the vines, snapping the flutes they were using to call their creatures, while Sailor Moon called out her Moonlit Twilight attack and put all of them to sleep.

The bon-bon babies disappeared in the blink of an eye, the moment the flutes were broken, and Tuxedo Kamen breathed out a sigh of relief. It was obvious the others had been hard pressed. There had been hundreds of the things in several bright colors, attack all of them at once.

He rushed toward his soulmate and counterpart and knelt beside the boy, Poupelin. The other two fairies changed before their eyes, turning into brghtly plummaged birds and fluttering away, but the boy stayed asleep. His brother sounded panicked as he rushed to his side, but Kamen and Moon had performed healings before and knew what they were doing.

Pulling forth his Golden Crystal, he watched Sailor Moon do the same with the Silver and they held hands and worked the healing over the boy. A shadow seemed to seep out of him and then he gasped and opened his eyes, reaching out automatically for his little brother. Peruru was sobbing as he helped Poupelin sit up, and then they hugged tightly.

He was smiling, watching the scene unfold, when he heard a scream. It sounded like Yuzuki. Lurching to his feet he turned to the others. They were all of one mind and began to run. They had to save their children and all the other boys and girls who had been taken.

* * *

Author's Note: Ha ha ha ha ha... Cliffhanger. But I promise, the next chapter is already started. Woot! I'm going to try and get you as many chapters as I can in the next few days for this and other stories. I think one of my stories should even be finished before we leave the house. We don't yet know where we are going, how we are getting there, or really much of anything. We've lived here for so long I'm actually pretty sad to leave. Wish us luck!


	7. Chapter 6

**Author's Note:** Yes, I have deviated quite far from the movie/manga with this story, but I feel it is a perfect way to showcase the love of parents and the power of redemption. Again, sorry this update took so long, but my life has been a bit crazy. Two more chapters and the epilogue after this. It might be a bit before book six. I'm thinking Halloween, but if any of you know of a Japanese Holiday or a world-wide holiday that comes first, please let me know!

Happy Reading!

* * *

**Dedication: A Mother's and Father's Day Story**  
**Holiday Series: Book Five**  
**Chapter Six**

* * *

_***Nephrite (East Knight's) POV***_

Almost the second the ship roughly touched down, East Knight heard the whistling sound of something flying at great speed. He looked up to see one of the strange Bon-Bon Babies headed straight for Sailor Mars and reacted instinctively, pulling her out of the way. He received a grateful look from West Knight, who was busy battling another, while the others all focused on the force of dozens more that began appearing from every direction, speeding toward them in crazy circles.

Sailor Moon was wiping them out as quickly as she could, and the other Senshi surrounded her, creating a protective barrier. His prince had gone, slipping into the night to rescue the children hiding on one of the other ships, so he turned his focus to protecting the Senshi.

The battle raged for several long minutes and, through his newly formed link, he could feel Jupiter's arm become injured. It wasn't a bad wound, he thought, but he was worried it would slow her down. He quickly made his way to her side, and she nodded, turning her back to his so they could guard one another and the Princess. This was something they had trained themselves for, and he knew it was the safest way to battle against overwhelming forces.

It was a battle they had to win. They had a little girl to bring home, and countless other children whose parents were counting on them for the same thing.

It was hard to focus on the three who were throwing the candy-like creatures at them because there were so many of the tiny monsters. Two of them attempted to pick up Sailor Mercury and she let out a scream. Sailor Moon turned, lifted her wand, and struck out at the monsters. The bluenette fell back to the deck and South Knight hurried to her side, helping her up and out of the way to check her for injuries. He saw her pull out the Mercury computer and begin scanning the creatures while her soulmate fussed over her, and couldn't hold back a grin. He thought those two might be next to form the bond.

Turning back to the fight East Knight rolled to avoid a particularly nasty little blue Bon-Bon Baby, and as he regained his feet he was able to see Tuxedo Kamen approaching the three fairies from behind. A moment later everything went still and silent as they were captured in vines and put to sleep. Two disappeared, transforming into birds after the healing light touched them, but the third, Poupelin, clung to his brother.

He was about to suggest they move when he heard the scream. It sounded like Yuzuki, and it was filled with terror. "Lets go," Jupiter said, grabbing onto him. He didn't need to be told twice. He was running as fast as he could, surrounded by the others in just seconds. The look on Sun Knight's face was heartbreaking. For the first time East Knight could understand what it meant to have a child relying on him, and he knew he would never give up.

They made their way into the castle through a darkened tunnel, running footsteps echoing off the walls. East Knight shivered as he heard what sounded like a child crying. He hated that sound and could only imagine little Chibi-Mako trying to help the others. His heart clenched at the thought, putting on even more speed. She might not be his daughter yet, but she would be, and he would do anything for her. His love for the little sprite was big enough to cover the world. He would do whatever it took to bring her home safe.

The sight of the tiny glass coffins filling the wide room broke his heart. He heard Sailor Jupiter let out a moan of fear beside him and gripped her hand as they continued forward.

* * *

_***Helios' POV***_

Helios watched, horrified, but unable to move through the dozens of Bon-Bon Babies holding him down, as Chibi Moon and Chibi Kamen confronted the strange queen. He felt a strange aura around her, but couldn't figure it out. It was almost as though she didn't have any dreams of her own. That wasn't a good thing. Everyone needed dreams. He was struggling too hard to make out most of what was being said, only a few words filtering in to him through the pile of monsters.

The queen, Badiane, seemed to be growing larger as he watched, and above her head was a swirling black funnel. She was laughing, and even over the sound of rushing wind, he could hear her speaking in a loud, angry voice. "Never again will anyone have to suffer," she was saying. "Everyone will live for eternity in the dream."

"You can't do this!" Chibi Moon shouted. "It isn't right!"

He wanted to run to her. His best friend, his future bride, was crying, tears streaking her face as she stared at the woman, who was now larger than he though possible. He needed to protect Chibi Moon, but he was helpless. He screamed in impotent rage, struggling against the monsters holding him down.

"I already have!" Queen Badiane answered, smiling maliciously. There was a hint of madness in her eyes, which made Helios shudder in revulsion. She was terrifying. "Thanks to all of you," the queen continued, "I now have enough energy to open the Black Dream Hole and every human on the earth will remain in dreams forever."

Helios shook his head. Too many dreams were just as bad as having none at all. He watched as the spinning vortex grew larger and larger. Then the massive queen reached out with her gigantic hands and scooped up Chibi Moon in one and Chibi Kamen in the other, squeezing them as she lifted them into the air. He shouted for them, and again tried to throw the monsters off, but it was no use.

"Chibi-Usa!" he screamed. "Chibi-Mamo!"

Something hit him and Helios found his eyes closing against his will. But he thought he saw silver and gold streaks of light as his vision faded away.

* * *

_***Agate (Pure Light Knight's) POV***_

He had never been more afraid. Agate, who had lived with Beryl, who had watched as his own family was destroyed, and who had been forced to escape and go into hiding, was more terrified in the moments he entered the large chamber than he had ever been before. 'Better the monster you know than the one you don't,' he thought to himself.

But this was different. He wasn't afraid for himself. Personal danger was something he was familiar with. And if there was one thing about Beryl, it was that she rarely actually took lives, even when she drained as much energy as she could. It had been as though she had unconsciously built a defense mechanism into her Youma. And she almost never went after children, Heliodor being a rare exception.

But his wide eyes were taking in a sight he never could have imagined. Below him, in the cavernous chamber, it looked to be thousands upon thousands of tiny little coffins. Peruru had called them dream pods, but that wasn't what they looked like to Agate. Inside one of those chambers was Heliodor.

The only children not in the pods were Chibi Moon and Chibi Kamen, who were in the hands of a monstrous woman who had somehow grown so tall she could hardly stand upright in the room, and the boy with the horn who looked as though he was in danger of being smothered by Bon-Bon Babies. Chibi Moon seemed to be on the verge of fainting and her brother, the purple haired boy, was shouting in pain.

They were so young.

As they raced to the rescue, flying down a set of steep stairs, Agate could feel something tearing at him. The further they went, the more tired and depleted he became. It was as though someone had reached in and scooped out not only his energy, but his hope. He stumbled, but continued forward, unwilling to abandon the children.

"Let them go!" Tuxedo Kamen shouted. The words reverberated around the massive room, ringing with authority and a hint of desperation.

"Daddy!" shouted the twins clutched in the hands of the monstrous woman ahead.

As Agate watched, the transformations of Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen changed. Sailor Moon's simple fuku was replaced by a long white dress covered by a breastplate, with a silver sword at her hip and a scepter in her hand that held a gleaming silver stone. She had a pair of incredibly large wings sprouting from her back and looked like an avenging angel. Her husband's tuxedo disappeared into what looked like a military uniform with full armor, a much larger sword than the one carried by his wife, and a scepter that held a golden stone that blared in the dark. Agate found his countenance to be terrifying. He would not want to face the man in such a rage.

Queen Badiane began to laugh as they raced toward her. She swung a hand wide, making Chibi Kamen scream, and Agate felt himself stumble and fall, his energy stolen as the black swirl above grew in size and speed. Hitting his knees hard, he reached out, but felt his transformation begin to falter. He could barely hold himself together.

"Heliodor," he whimpered, cursing himself for his weakness and fear. A soft thud at his side announced Fire Warrior, who was fading in and out of her own transformation. How the Prince and Princess were maintaining theirs as they raced forward he couldn't guess, but he watched them move closer and closer to the mad woman holding the little ones, their stances speaking of determination and fierce protectiveness.

As he crawled closer to Koan, he watched in horror as the demented queen rose up into the air, screaming about putting all the world to sleep, and raced toward the Black Dream Hole. She disappeared inside, holding the twins, and a moment later the desperate parents followed, clinging together as Sailor Moon's wings flapped broadly.

He wasn't sure how much time passed before he heard Sailor Mars cry out "Usagi!" and she and the other Senshi moved slightly forward, followed by their own mates. Bright lights flowed out from them, disappearing into the massive funnel above. Scrambling to her knees, Fire Warrior closed her eyes and as he watched, a flare of bright red energy flowed out from her.

He didn't understand what they were doing, but it appeared there was someone calling for their aid. He couldn't do any less and focused all his mind on sending his energy to the Prince, his own mind on a red-haired little girl he loved more than he had ever believed possible. He might not be her father, but he felt like it, and he would sacrifice himself to save her.

* * *

_***Usagi (Sailor Moon)'s POV***_

Pure, unadulterated terror raced through Sailor Moon as she watched Queen Badiane squeezing her future children in angry hands. She screamed as she saw the woman clenching them in her fist. Anger welled up in her, and sadness as well.

"Let them go!" Tuxedo Kamen growled beside Sailor Moon.

"No," Badiane screamed, a hint of madness visible in her dark eyes. "I need them to put everyone to sleep. With their pure dream energy I will finally have enough to capture everyone in my Dream Pods. No one will ever again be forced to endure this nightmare."

"Nightmare?" Sailor Moon asked, confused. "This is life. Real life. Dreams aren't meant to last forever."

"No! It is nightmares that last forever!" the queen screamed. "I won't allow it. Soon my Black Dream hole will cloak the earth and no one will suffer again!"

"You cannot do this," Sailor Moon cried out. "You cannot control something like this. It will turn on you, destroy you!"

"You Fool! I AM the Black Dream Hole! It bends to my will (Direct quote)!" Queen Badiane screamed. "I must do this!" And she launched herself upwards, taking Chibi Moon and Chibi Kamen with her. Both children looked as though they had passed out during her speech, and Sailor Moon felt her heart break as she watched them disappear into the darkness.

"Bring them back!" she screamed, her throat raw with pure agony.

"Lets bring them home," her husband whispered, coming to stand directly in front of her.

It was only then that she realized they had both taken on their royal forms. Forms meant only to be used when the situation was dire. But it was their future children at stake, which meant the situation was as dire as it could get. She nodded and wrapped her arms around his neck as her wings began to flap furiously, the muscles of her back working as she lifted them from the surface. The closer they grew to the darkness, the more out of control she felt, working harder and harder to maintain position. She clung to her soulmate as they were flung around and around in flight, tossed by the wind.

) O (  
_Usagi ran through the park, Mamoru's hand held in hers, as she laughed. Bright flowers covered the grass under their feet. Mamoru picked her up and spun her around, grinning from ear to ear._

_"Isn't it nice to have no responsibilities?" he asked, his eyes twinkling. "Now we can do all the things we never had time for. Just you and me. No one to save. No kids to pester us. No hard work."_

_Usagi shook her head. No. That was wrong. There was no way her Mamoru would be saying things like this. She had held him while he hid his own sorrow after the twins were returned home each time they went back. He missed them as much as she did. The twins!_

_"Mamoru? This isn't real!" she cried out._

_But it wasn't Mamoru standing in front of her. Instead it was a laughing Queen. "Did you really think you could save them Princess?" she spat. "You are nothing!"_

_"This isn't real," Sailor Moon said again. "Help me minna!" she called through the Soul-Link. "Help me break free from this nightmare!" She felt a surge of elemental powers fill her up and glared at the queen. "Nothing will keep me from my children," she snarled._  
) O (

Sailor Moon opened her eyes. She was still in the maelstrom, but held tightly in her arms was the tiny form of her future daughter. Chibi Moon's eyes were closed, her breathing steady. It looked as though she too must have been locked inside a dream. She turned her head. Next to her was her Soul-Bonded, and in his arms was Chibi Kamen, also still sleeping. But her husband's eyes were glazed over, a look of horror written on his face. She moved closer to him, calling out his name.

* * *

_***Mamoru (Tuxedo Kamen)'s POV***_

He wasn't sure what happened. One moment he was clinging to his sobbing wife as they flew up into the shadowed funnel, and the next he found himself alone in his old apartment.

) O (  
_The walls were white, and void of life, as they had always been. The furniture was blocky and plain. Boring. No pictures lined the walls or sat on the shelves. There was nothing for him in the space but books. It was empty and cold._

_"This is what she will leave you with," the voice said. "Why not go back to this life. When you had hope of becoming a doctor and didn't have to run out into the night to save a clumsy girl who should never have become a hero? When you had no responsibilities to anyone other than yourself."_

_"I don't want this," Mamoru said, horror welling up inside him. "I like my life messy and chaotic. I like the way Usagi makes me feel, the way the children make me feel. I like being loved, needed. And if I have to give up becoming a doctor to save the world, it is a sacrifice I'm willing to make."_

_Mocking laughter filled the living room. "It was all a dream," she said. "No one loves you. No one ever could. Even your parents abandoned you. They would rather die than be near you."_

_"That's not true!" Mamoru screamed, clinging to the happy memories Usagi had returned to him at Christmas. "They loved me! And Usagi loves me! And my children need me!" His mind whirled with pain and fear and instinctively he reached out to another bond, just as stong as the one he held with his wife. "Help me!" he cried to the Shitennou._

_Power flowed into him. Not just from his four protectors, but from every one of the young men who had taken up the cause. He felt the flare of desperate energy from Sun Knight, the hopeful fluttering from Blue Moon Knight, and finally a blast of pure, loving light from Pure Light Knight, their newest ally, who wasn't even part of the Link yet._

_That last pure flow was enough. "I love my children," Mamoru told the queen. "This isn't real. This is the nightmare. Let me GO!" The shout made the world around him collapse into shadow._  
) O (

Tuxedo Kamen opened his eyes and felt the bundle in his arms. He looked down into the face of his precious future son, and knew he would both live and die for the boy. He would do what it took to save him and all the others from this nightmare. Out there, all over the world, parents were worried for their children. He had to stop this woman from destroying that.

"Lets go," Sailor Moon said, at his side, holding Chibi Moon.

They moved closer together and he prepared to grab onto her, but suddely Queen Badiane was standing in front of them. "You can't take them!" she screeched. "I need their energy. I have to let the Black Dream Hole cover the earth. It's the only way the children can be happy!"

There was a blast of dark lightning that knocked them both to their knees, waking the children, who clung to them.

"What's happening?" Chibi Moon cried out.

"We need your help," Sailor Moon said. "Can you try to help us? You have to be brave."

"We can help," Chibi Kamen said, looking like he was on the verge of fearful tears, but determined in spite of that.

"When we say it's time, I want you to launch an attack with us," Tuxedo Kamen told the children. "It's the only way we can wake the queen up. Do you understand?"

"But she isn't sleeping," Chibi Moon said, sniffling.

"And that's exactly the problem," Sailor Moon answered. "I think she's in a living nightmare. We have to help her, but we need to break through that nightmare first. Can you help us?"

Both children nodded. Sailor Moon pulled Chibi Moon close and whispered into her ear. He did the same for Chibi Kamen, the words coming to him instinctively. This was a healing attack, not a killing blow.

Then they were ready. Sailor Moon and Chibi Moon cried out their attack together. "Moon Gorgeous Meditation."

In the same moment Tuxedo Kamen and his future son cried their own attack. "Earth Beautiful Reflection."

He watched as a shadow was dragged out of the queen. Breath coming in ragged gasps, he clung to the children, both of whom seemed on the verge of collapse, their energy expended.

"I'm tired daddy," Chibi Kamen whispered.

"I've got you," he answered, pulling the boy into his arms while Sailor Moon did the same with his sister.

Badiane was staring at them. She looked confused, but still determined. "I have to save them. They need to dream," the woman said. "In the dream they will never be afraid."

Sailor Moon shook her head. "Badiane," she said, in a voice Tuxedo Kamen well knew. "This is not the way to save the world," her eyes filled up and brimmed over with tears as she stared at the broken woman in front of them. "The world is a messy, and sometimes scary place. It isn't always pretty, and sometimes it can really suck. But it's real."

Tuxedo Kamen couldn't help himself. He moved forward as well. "Badiane, whatever it is that made you feel the way you do, is it worth punishing these little children? Their parents? Is it worth an entire planet of broken hearts? Look around you. This Black Dream Hole isn't stable. These children wont stay asleep. They will be killed. I beg you, let us save them. Save you." He was staring into her eyes. He saw the heartbreak, the fear, and the impotent rage within them. Something had done this, had turned her into this.

"But they're happy in their dreams," Badiane said, her voice sounding like a plea.

"Are they?" Sailor Moon asked. "Can they grow up this way? Can they get hugs from their mothers and their fathers? Can they learn new things, make new friends? The dream isn't real Badiane. It doesn't count."

"But nothing can hurt them there," Badiane said, her voice barely heard over the whipping winds now. "No one can take their mommies and daddies away in the dream. No one can hurt them."

Understanding filled Tuxedo Kamen and he felt the echo of empathy and true pain from his mate. He watched as Sailor Moon twisted and gently lay a now sleeping Chibi Moon in his arms. Her brother reached out and took her hand, his own eyes closing.

Then Sailor Moon moved forward, reaching out her hand to Badiane, who took it, probably on some instinct she didn't understand. He knew though. Sailor Moon might be a clumsy, wild, loud, ordinary girl who forgot her homework and was habitually late, but she was also the physical embodiment of hope.

"Badiane," Sailor Moon said, her voice soft. "No one can take their mommies and daddies in the dream, but you've already taken them away. Those mommies and daddies are just as sad and scared because their sons and daughters are missing as you were when someone hurt your parents."

Tears were streaming down the woman's cheeks. Her eyes were filled with some memory of horror that was so awful he could feel her fear of remembering. No wonder she had wanted the dream. No wonder she had wanted an escape.

"I can't dream," the woman said. "Not anymore. They took it away from me."

Sailor Moon lifted her wand and smiled. "And I can give it back, if you let me. You have to decide. Do you want to be healed? Do you want another chance?"

The woman no longer looked like a fierce queen, now simply a frightened child in a woman's body. She sniffled and looked at Sailor Moon, then over her shoulder at himself and the two sleeping children he held. Then, slowly, she nodded.

"I'm going to give you a second chance," Sailor Moon said. "A true second chance." She bent forward and whispered softly to the woman, who nodded empatically.

There was a flutter of wings and the two fairies who had disappeared now settled down onto the woman's shoulders. She smiled at Sailor Moon, who lifted her wand and spoke. The words were taken by the wind and he did not hear them, but Tuxedo Kamen watched in amazement as silver light flowed from the wand. It grew brighter and brighter until he had to turn away and shield his eyes. It flared for a long moment, and then there was a breath of silence.

Turning back, he saw that Sailor Moon was alone. The woman and two fairies were gone. She turned to him and gave a small smile before rushing over to wrap her arms around himself and the two precious little ones in his arms. He smiled and leaned forward to kiss his wife...

... and everything around them exploded into madness.

Without Badiane to control the Black Dream Hole it became unstable, the whipping winds they had faced earlier nothing but a gentle breeze in comparison. They were tossed around, clinging to one another. Black lightning speared around them, the strikes hitting them again and again. They huddled protectively over the little ones, trying to keep them safe.

He lost his grip on Chibi Kamen and screamed in horror as the boy fell. Then Sailor Moon let go of him and was racing down and down into the dark, chasing after their future child, her body held straight, arms stretched out before her to increase her speed.

He had to do something. He wasn't sure what it was, but he called on the power of his crystal. He had to save his children and wife. "Golden Crystal Radiance!" he screamed, holding up his scepter. The energy tore at him, pulling and pulling until he felt like he was falling apart, breaking into a thousand pieces. But tucked safely in his arms, his future daughter slept.

A thick spear of purple-black lightning hit him in the chest and Tuxedo Kamen screamed. Chibi Moon was hit, and gasped out in her sleep, but he could do nothing but cling to her, holding her tightly in his arms. Darkness took him then, and they began to fall.

* * *

_***Peruru (Dream Fairy)'s POV***_

They watched as the storm above calmed, and Peruru felt hope. He knew somehow that the two Royals could fix things, though he didn't have a clue how he knew it. Time seemed to pass instantly but also in slow motion as they all fixed their gazes to the swirling black hole above them. He could hear the murmuring of the other heroes, but didn't pay much attention to their words. His own gaze was riveted, and his heart was flying through that darkness above them, praying for a miracle.

After several moments of complete stillness the swirling mass seemed to explode on itself, the energy of it racing around and around until he felt as though he were being tugged forward. He watched in horror, unsure what was happening inside. Beside him, his brother was muttering that none could return, but he refused to believe it.

A sudden scream from Helios shocked everyone who lay there watching the funnel. The future Priest of Elysion stood, his entire body emitting a golden glow, and his horn blaring with the same bright light. He sent a beam of that light into the storm and as Peruru watched, it began to calm.

"The ship!" Helios screamed. "Get the ship!" He turned his gaze on Peruru.

"Hie!" he said back, and turned to race away.

He knew his way around Marzipan Castle and rushed to the landing dock where the four ships were perched. Pulling out his flute be began to play, his thoughts on Chibi-Mako, his friend, who was trapped in one of the Dream Pods. He would help them save her. But first, they needed to save the ones who had gone into the Black Dream Hole. He had to help. Racing faster than he ever had before, he moved the ship higher and higher into the air.

Golden light exploded out of the funnel, and a moment later there was a silver glow. The black hole disappeared, and instead it looked as though their were two stars falling through the night sky. He hurried to the first, the silver glow, knowing it was the Princess. In her arms she held the purple haired boy, who was barely awake and clinging to her. Their decent was slowed by the blaring golden light that seeped out of the chamber where the pods were held, and he knew in his heart that it was Helios, protecting the girl and her family.

Maneuvering the ship, he caught them, and then raced to the golden star that was falling more unsteadily, flipping over and over in the air as it plummeted down. He moved as fast as he could and lifted the ship up under them, the Prince and his pink-haired daughter landing lightly beside the white gowned woman and the boy. The girl in his arms looked hurt, and the man was unconscious. Fear filled Peruru and he raced the ship toward the others, who were in the chamber still.

The Black Dream Hole had torn the roof off the chamber, giving Peruru easy access. He landed the ship, screaming for help all the while. A red-haired man and blond-haired boy raced up the gangplank as soon as he lowered it, rushing to help the ones he had brought with him. They began to glow as they focused some sort of energy on the sleeping ones, and he let out a sigh of relief as they began to stir.

Peruru watched fearfully as Helios, the future Priest himself, walked up the gangplank and settled next to the pink-haired girl, his gaze never leaving her. He bowed his head in shame. He had failed in his duty as a dream fairy and the priest's future mate was harmed because of it. A sob tore at his throat and he wondered if there was any way he could be forgiven.

Then Helios looked over at him and smiled. "Peruru," he said in a gentle tone. "Shouldn't you be there when your friend wakes up? She needs you. It is your job to protect her forever and ever." Hope filled his chest and he nodded, bowing low, before he raced off the ship and towards the one Dream Pod that called to him most.

* * *

_***Kenji's POV***_

Sitting helpless in Tokyo while his children and their friends battled some unknown enemy didn't sit well with Kenji. He paced nervously from one side of the room to the other, his fists clenched as he prayed to the Kami to keep all of them safe. He would do literally anything for any one of the kids that were part of his huge, weird, wild family.

Ikuko sat on one of the couches, rocking slightly from side to side, Akane in her arms, as she stared out into the night through the large window. Doctor Mizuno was mumbling under her breath, an emergency medical kit open in front of her while she seemed to be reminding herself how to treat specific injuries. Meanwhile, Grandfather Hino knelt in front of the small table in the center of the room, his eyes focused intently on the flame of a candle lit there. Kenji thought he was meditating, and hoped the man had answers.

His worry and fear grew and grew as time passed with no message from the kids, and he wondered what was happening, his heart clenching in fear. He wasn't sure how much more he could take. A hole would probably appear in the carpet if his pacing continued, but he couldn't make himself stop. He couldn't let himself think.

Suddenly he slumped, letting out a breath he hadn't known he was holding. His tense muscles relaxed and he found himself breathing easily for the first time since the teenaged heroes had left. A second later the communicator on the table next to Ikuko began to beep. He smiled, somehow knowing they were all safe.

* * *

**Father's day Author's Note:** (Sorry for the delay in this note, but it went with this chapter).

Over time I have seen the pure love of fathers in so many aspects that I think I have a very unique perspective. When my son was first born I was a single parent, and as such I had to love and protect my baby not only as mother, but as father. Until he was three I was all he had as not just a nurturer, but a disciplinarian, a playmate, a defender and hero.

In my own life I have had many father figures. From my actual father, who rarely said the words, "I'm proud of you kid," which made them feel all the more special and important, I learned that hard work can be it's own reward. From a sort of stolen father figure, named Steve, who was the parent of some of my best friends, I learned that being a dad is about more than providing physically, but being there at two am when someone needs a shoulder to cry on because their boyfriend broke up with them, or because they are afraid of the dark, or because they really don't understand why they feel the way they do. I learned courage and inner strength and wisdom. I learned that sometimes being a parent is about sacrifice and hardship, while never letting your kids know you are suffering.

When I met my husband, also named Steve, and watched as he became much more than a step-father to my son, I saw something more incredible than I could have ever imagined. I saw such dedication and pure love towards a child that it often brought tears to my eyes just watching my guys together. Whether they were throwing a football back and forth, scratching their heads over a barbecue, or filling out the paperwork for my son to join the Marines, I watched as a true father stood behind, beside, or in front of our son as the situation called for. He was more than protector and defender, more than provider, more than playmate and friend, more than supporter and ally. He was dad.

And it isn't just single moms or step-fathers who take on the role of dad. Anyone can be that sort of guidance to a youngster. But it's hard to stand by and watch a child you truly love go through hard times. I've often found that mothers are comforters and counselors, while fathers are both lawyer and judge (My own husband could pronounce a discipline easily, but if he felt I was being unfair he would staunchly defend our boy and back him up).

So this chapter is dedicated to all the real dads out there. Whether you're hauling kids under your arm to get them in the bath, coaching a game, hitting your thumb with a hammer trying to build a treehouse, slinging the old pigskin, or standing there trying not to cry while your child makes a promise to defend your country, this is for you. This is for all your sacrifices, your own unshed tears, and the moments when you had to make a choice whether to step in or let your child stand on their own. Happy (belated) father's day.


	8. Chapter 7

**Author's Note:** Alright folks, as many of you know, I am good friends with a fellow fan-fic author Astraearose-silvermoon. Its amazing how close you can get to someone an ocean away through text and video chat. Together we have brainstormed dozens upon dozens of ideas, and some of them have even been posted already. He he he. You would not believe how many we've discussed but haven't had time to write yet.

Anyways, we share a lot of characters between our stories. You've already met the pups in a few of my stories, but if you haven't read her most recent series, Awakening, then you haven't met the adorable little ones I will be introducing to you in this chapter. (I will try to update my profile with information on OC's soon, but I've been a little scattered). Also, another of my OC's (Ezekiel) is back, a bit older in this story.

Sit back, relax, and enjoy the story!

* * *

**Dedication: A Mother's and Father's Day Story**  
**Holiday Series: Book Five**  
**Chapter Seven**

* * *

_***Ami (Sailor Mercury)'s POV***_

"Zo, I'm fine," Mercury whispered, practically hissing at her soulmate.

He was hovering and it was honestly driving her crazy. Not that she minded him being solicitous necessarily, but he smelled so yummy and she just wanted to take a bite out of him, which was not appropriate at the moment. Shaking her head, Mercury tried to focus on the task at hand. She needed to stay aware. She couldn't let his intense green eyes and strong arms distract her from their job.

"You fell," he said simply, not putting her down. "I'm just making sure you're alright."

With a sigh, she turned to look at him. "I've been healed already South," she said, trying to use his warrior name, though it was often difficult to remember when she was all curled up in his arms. "Shingo, er Blue Moon, took care of it. I can walk."

He only shrugged and continued to move toward the end of the row of Dream Pods. She shuddered at the sight of the children sleeping inside. They looked more like coffins than pods. She thought of Snow White, which had been a favorite fairy tale when she was younger. She'd been dead in her glass coffin. It was all she could think looking at the trapped children.

"We have work to do," she continued, reaching up to stroke his cheek. "I'm okay. We have to do this. Those parents are freaking out about now," she added. She couldn't imagine what they were going through. She'd seen her friends, frantic and calling, the night before. She didn't know if she and Zo had any children in the future. She wanted them, very much, but she couldn't imagine going through something like this.

South Knight paused and slowly lowered her feet to the ground, dragging her along his body. "Fine," he said. "But i've got my eye on you." He kissed her hard before letting her go.

Mercury stifled a giggle. 'Was that supposed to be a threat?' she wondered. She didn't mind him watching her. To prove that, she swayed her hips a bit more than normal as she walked away. He groaned and followed her.

"That's what I thought," she whispered as he came alongside her. "Now, we really do have to get started." She pulled out the Mercury computer and began running scans over the children as she walked down the line of rows. "These ones have been here the longest. Lets get them out first. I don't know if there will be any complication with them being in REM sleep for so long."

South Knight snapped to attention at those words and made his way to the end of the row, sneaking through the pods which were only about six or eight inches apart. It was a good thing he wasn't as muscular as some of the other guys. He never would have fit if he was. He went to the very end and began opening chambers one at a time.

"It's taking a few minutes for them to wake," he called out to her. "This might take longer than we thought."

Frowning, Mercury turned toward Helios, who was clinging to Chibi-Usa as though she was his security blanket, and wondered if there was a way he could help. Or perhaps the two fairies who had remained behind. She waved her arm toward her prince and princess, who approached quickly.

"The little ones are waking up very slowly," she explained. "And they will probably be afraid."

"Help is coming," Sailor Moon said, hugging her. "Don't worry."

A moment after she spoke the two fairies who had turned into birds arrived, now looking like actual fairies, and with them were about a dozen others. Mercury nodded gratefully and turned back to her scans. The children all looked to be safe and healthy in their pods. She would run continuous scans on them to be sure, but she didn't think there would be any bad effects as they were let out.

* * *

_***Agate (Pure Light Knight)'s POV***_

Agate rushed to the pod that Heliodor was trapped in, his heart pounding. He scrambled to pull the lid open and reached inside, pulling Heliodor out and into his arms. Instantly the smell of her apple shampoo calmed him. The little girl had been his responsibility, but it was more than that. He loved her very much, and would do just about anything for her.

Turning, he shifted the child in his arms so that she was laying back, resting like an infant. Her face was pale, but she was unharmed. It took a moment for her eyes to blink open. The vivid green contrasted beautifully with her auburn locks, making her look a bit like a pixie. He smiled down at her and she grinned.

"There are some people I want you to meet," he said smiling. "They are the younger versions of your parents and they know how to get you home." He couldn't hold back a small sob as he thought about her leaving.

"It's okay Uncle Agate," she said, so soft he barely heard her. "I'll always love you too." She leaned up and kissed his cheek. He blinked back tears, squeezing her more tightly for just a moment, then strode to where Pluto was pulling a yawning Yuzuki from her pod, with Sun Knight standing behind her, seeming undecided if he should run to hug Heliodor first or snatch up Yuzuki.

Agate solved the problem by carefully shifting Heliodor into his arms while Pluto handed over the other red-haired girl, who smiled. "You're my baby sister," the other girl said, grinning. "We're going to be best friends.

It was a good sound, hearing the two little girls laughing together. They were of an age, and very similar in looks. They could almost pass for twins though from what he understood Yuzuki was adopted. Agate sighed, feeling at a loss, without purpose, for the first time in over a year. His entire existence had revolved around protecting and raising the little girl.

Sailor Pluto was weeping quietly, but she rushed to Agate and threw her arms around him. "You have to be her godfather," she said. "Please?"

He nodded, but couldn't speak. He met Sun Knight's eyes. The other man had tears streaking his face, but looked as though he had won the greatest prize on the planet. "Thank you," he said, softly over the chattering girls who were acting as though they had known each other for years instead of hours.

Agate only nodded his head. A soft touch on his arm made him turn and he saw Fire Warrior standing next to him as though she was planning to protect him from the world. He couldn't help smiling down at her. She was incredibly beautiful and he wanted to take her back into his arms and recreate their earlier kisses.

"It's alright," he told her. "I always knew this day would come. Now I just have to figure out my next move."

Koan snorted. "Your next move is to help us fight whatever big bad shows up and tries to destroy the planet, obviously." She said it with such conviction that it felt right. He knew she wasn't planning on going anywhere. And, he thought, he might be willing to follow her into whatever battles would come.

"Uncle Agate has to be your uncle too Zuki," Heliodor was saying. "He's the bestest at math and he tells funny bedtime stories and knows how to make animal sounds."

Yuzuki's eyes widened and she peered up at him. Smiling, he made a horse's neigh, which caused both girls to giggle. He knew then that he would still be part of Heliodor's life. She might be going into the future, but based on the fact that most of the other children were from the future too, he thought he would be seeing her again soon.

* * *

_***Heliodor's POV***_

"Come on!" Yuzuki said, tugging her arm. "We gotsta help the others."

Heliodor followed the other girl, grinning at Asahi, who had been watching her, and they made their way to the group. The other kids had been lining up the children from Tokyo who were only now being woken.

"What do we do?" she asked, unsure how she could help.

"We keep them calm and put them in groups so daddy or someone can take them back," Yuzuki said. "They all have to grab on at once, so no more than ten," she added.

"Okay. Maybe we should make sure brothers and sisters are together," she suggested.

"That's a good idea Heliodor," Asahi said, and turned to the group. "Does anyone see any brothers or sisters?" he called out. Several of the children pointed to chambers that still hadn't been emptied. "If you see a brother or sister go over to the left. If you don't have brothers or sisters, go to the right."

The children obeyed and soon the grown ups were taking small groups of them, disappearing with a small flash of light. They returned a few minutes later, alone, before grabbing another group.

"What about all the kids from the other places?" Takeo asked. "They can't all fit in the ships at once. There were four ships for each town."

"I think they are just filling a ship and bringing it back, then returning," Chibi-Mako said. "Peruru is trying to keep all the kids calm as they fill the boats up and then they fly away."

"I'm sleepy," Tentomushi sighed.

Heliodor giggled. She was feeling very sleepy herself. "Me too," she said, hugging the other red-haired girl. It seemed like she had been awake for hours.

Asahi grabbed her hand and pulled her off to the side. "Heliodor, are you doing okay?" he asked.

She could only nod because a great big yawn started just as she was about to answer. "Yeah. I still have Uncle Agate, and now young mom and dad and all of you and soon I get to meet future mom and dad. It's a whole lot of new stuff, but I can't stop smiling." After another great big yawn she leaned against him, her eyes trying to slide closed. "I think I need a nap," she whispered.

She felt him hug her close and then she could smell the familiar scent of her uncle. Before she knew it she was being laid down in a very soft bed that smelled like lavender. Agate kissed her on the forehead and then another warm body was pressed against her and she opened her eyes to see a sleeping Yuzuki. She smiled and let herself drift into happy dreams of playing with her new friends and meeting her mom and dad.

* * *

_***Shingo (Blue Moon Knight)'s POV***_

The children were waking up. Shingo and the others formed a line, moving over the coffin-like chambers carefully and passing the children along. It reminded him of old water lines for fighting fires. He had seen that in a movie once.

Catching Hotaru's eye, he nodded towards the twins, who were already leading the first group toward Peruru's ship. There were dozens following in their wake, and if his estimation was right, he thought the children totaled in the thousands. There was no way they could use the ships for all of them at once, which meant multiple trips.

Some of the younger kids had already been taken back to the house, but he could see not only the twins, but Takeo and Asahi working alongside the older teens, trying to make sure no one was afraid.

"We're going to have to split up," Tuxedo Kamen said, catching his look. "A couple with each ship and then the rest of us can teleport those bound for Tokyo."

Blue Moon Knight nodded. "Makes sense," was all he said.

Then suddenly there was a weight on his leg and he was almost pulled over by a little girl who was sobbing. "Daddy!" she yelled. "I knew you'd finded us! Angharad said you weren't here but I knew you'd come daddy!"

The little one lifted her arms in a silent appeal to be picked up. Instinctively he wrapped his hands around her, just under her arms, and lifted her. She looked up at him, her eyes watery with tears. The color was somewhere between blue and purple, and seemed to change from one moment to the next as she sniffled in his arms.

Tuxedo Kamen lifted a single eyebrow, then grinned and disappeared, probably to rat Shingo out to his sister, who would be teasing him for a long time. He smiled, looking down at the little girl.

"I was scareded daddy," she sobbed.

"It's okay," he said, not sure what else to do.

She looked so sad, but also content as she moved closer. The little girl laid her head on his shoulder and let out a soft sigh, snuggling and closing her eyes. She let out a little yawn, and within moments he could hear the deep breathing of sleep.

Blue Moon looked back to where Saturn stood. Her mouth was open wide as she stared at him and the little girl he held protected in his arms. As he watched, another little girl approached her and tugged at the skirt of her fuku.

Even from a distance he could hear her words. "Hi mommy, I'm Angharad," she said in a voice that held a hint of worry. "Don't be mad at Zita. She didn't know what she was doing. We didn't mean to get into the time vortex, but Ezekiel..."

If anything, Hotaru looked amazed and happy. He could understand. As shocking as it was to be confronted with their future children, he knew she had been wondering if they had any since no one from the future had given them any real answers. He wanted to know absolutely everything about the little girls.

"Mommy?"

"Its okay," Saturn said, looking down at the little one.

Shingo used the moment to take a closer look. The little girl in his arms, Zita, had silver-blonde hair with streaks of inky purple and sandy blonde. She was already snoozing, her little button nose wiggling occasionally. He was certain she was the younger of the girls, though not by much.

The other girl, Angharad, had wrapped one arm around Saturn's leg, and didn't look as though she would be letting go anytime soon. She had hair that was mostly purple with a silvery sheen and bright blue eyes that seemed to be filled with a wisdom he didn't think possible in one so young. There was an air of sadness about her Blue Moon wasn't sure he could understand. Not yet. Whatever it was, he wanted to fix it. Fast.

"It's really not Zita's fault," Angharad continued. "Ezekiel and Zita were just playing tag. They didn't know there was a vortex open. I barely got to them in time."

"Ezekiel?" Saturn asked, worry clear in her voice.

"He's in that one," the girl said, pointing to a pod halfway down the line. "Auntie Ami said it was okay for him to play with Zita. They weren't being bad. They just didn't know any better."

"Is Ezekiel Ami and Zoicite's son?" Blue Moon asked, finally reaching them.

"Uh huh," she said, raising herself up on tip toes as she watched the other warriors working to free the children still in pods.

"Are you alright?" Saturn asked, looking down at the girl with a soft smile. "It sounds like you took good care of them."

Angharad frowned. "I tried," she said. "But we landed in the park and fell asleep because we didn't know where to go. No one talked Japanese and I was scared. I didn't have my ball or anything."

"Well you'll come back with us," Shingo said, resting a hand on her shoulder. "We can help you get back to your time, okay?"

"Okay Daddy," Angharad said, smiling happily. "You might want to warn Auntie Ami or she might pass out."

He turned and realized that Zoicite was almost to the pod where she had pointed. "Zo!" he called out, forgetting, again, to use the warrior name. It wasn't as though there were any enemies though, and the children were all rather out of it, the dream fairies playing their flutes to keep them calm.

"What?" the teenager called back, his hands working on the pod next to the one where Ezekiel lay.

"Check your communicator!" he hollered. He rapidly typed in a message warning him who was in the next pod, and let him know that Ami might freak out.

"Got it!" the blonde yelled back. He quickly passed on the boy he had just freed and moved to Ezekiel's pod, lifting the child into his arms. Instead of passing him off to North Knight, he gathered the still sleeping child close and made his way to the end of the row where Mercury was directing the children to the ships they would be taking.

* * *

_***Zoicite (South Knight)'s POV***_

As he lifted Ezekiel into his arms, the boy blinked his eyes open. Seeing him, the child snuggled close with a whispered, "daddy," and closed his eyes again trustingly.

He wended his way through the pods to where Mercury stood, and looked down at her. "I'm not exactly sure how to explain this," he said. "Do you see the little girls with Shingo and Hotaru?" At his soulmate's nod, he continued. "Well they are from the future, along with this little guy. His name is Ezekiel, and he's our son."

Mercury's eyes opened wide. Her mouth dropped open, then closed with a snap. A moment later she reached out and brushed the blue-tinged blonde curls away from the little boy's face. "Ezekiel," she breathed. "He's beautiful."

"He is," South Knight whispered, a bit awed by the boy, who had Ami's nose and his chin. "Perfect," he added.

"So we do have kids in the future," Mercury whispered.

"It I have my way we'll have at least half a dozen," he told her, laughing at her horrified look.

"We can discuss that later," she hissed, reaching out for the little boy. "He looks like he's four or five," she said after staring down at him for a long moment. "Do you suppose we should bring him back to the house?"

"Not sure," South admitted. "I'm assuming that's what Shingo and Hotaru are planning with the girls though, and they're coming this way."

"Look how perfect he is," he heard Saturn whisper. "He looks just like them." The little girl clinging to her leg smiled.

"This sleeping one is Zita," Blue Moon said softly. "And this beautiful girl is Angharad. They're our future daughters."

"Amazing. How did they get here?"

"They were caught in an unexpected time vortex," Saturn answered. "Which means we're going to have to talk to Pluto about exactly when to return them."

"It's frightening that something like that happened," South said, worrying. "We have to find a way to make sure it doesn't happen again."

"The scariest part is they didn't end up in Tokyo. By the sounds of it I think it was somewhere in England. We have to make sure we teach all the children at a young age," Saturn said, looking worriedly at the little girl, who still hadn't stopped clinging to her. "We have to protect them."

"I think these little ones need to go to bed," Mercury said. "Maybe Angharad can watch them for us while we finish helping with the other children. Do you think you could keep them safe while we work?" she asked, looking straight at the girl.

The little one squared her shoulders and stood straighter, finally releasing Saturn's leg. "I can do that," she said. "I'll protect them."

"Good," Mercury turned to Zoicite. "Why don't you guys take them back to the house and Saturn and I can help with the others. They're pretty scared at the moment and we don't want to fall behind."

He bent forward and kissed her cheek before taking Ezekiel back into his arms. The oy hardly stirred, simply moving his hand to grasp South's uniform jacket, his little mouth falling open in a soft snore. He smiled down at the boy and turned to Blue Moon, who was now holding the little girl by the hand, with her younger sister perched on his shoulder.

"I'll lead," South told him. He reached out and grabbed the younger teen by the arm, and darkness, weightlessness, and lack of oxygen covered them, lasting only half a heartbeat before they found themselves in the living room.

"Hey mom," Blue Moon Knight said softly, calling Ikuko's attention. "I have a bit of a surprise for you. These little ones came from the future too. The boy is Ami and Zo's future son, but these two little ones are your future granddaughters. Mine and Hotaru's kids."

Both Ikuko and Kenji, who had been pacing the floor, stopped to look at the children. Ikuko's face lit up and she knelt down in front of the little girl who was still awake. "Hello," she said, a grin making her seem younger than she was. "I'm your grandmother."

Angharad giggled. "I know," she said, and instantly reached out and wrapped her arms around Ikuko's neck. "The bestest ever," she added, yawning sleepily.

"We should probably keep the three of them together. I need to talk to Setsuna about when we have to return them to."

"We can put them in the nursery with Akane," Ikuko suggested. "Come on."

Minutes later the two little ones were sleeping on either side of Angharad, whose eyes were drooping with exhaustion. "It's safe here," Ikuko whispered to her.

"Kay," she murmured, and closed her eyes.

"So beautiful."

Zoicite turned to Ikuko-mama and pulled her into a hug. "They are, aren't they?"

Shingo looked just as happy as he felt. "It's hard to believe such perfect girls come from me," he said, looking amazed. "We can't stay. we have to get back and help the others. Just keep an eye on them for me, okay?"

"I will," Ikuko promised. "I've been checking on the others all night." She shook her head. "After finding out Usagi was Sailor Moon and had been sneaking out for nearly a year I should have kept a closer watch on the kids tonight."

"Don't blame yourself," Zoicite commanded. "Usagi said she sort of knew something was up with them, and that they had to do it."

Ikuko nodded, then led the way to the door. "Lets not wake them," she said.

They followed her out to the living room, where Kenji had the news on. "More than halfway through," the older man said. "Everyone is talking about how the Senshi and friends saved the day, again. You might want to warn the others. If you kids thought you were popular before, you haven't seen anything yet."

* * *

_***Esmeraude (Green Warrior)'s POV***_

"Dimande," Esmeraude murmured as they touched down on the dock, for what she thought was the fifth time, "watch out for the littlest ones over there. I don't want them getting lost as we get the others off the ship."

Her soulmate nodded and hurried to pick up the little twin girls who seemed to be just barely three years old. They were among the youngest they'd seen, and had been clinging to one another since they had found each other again. Dimande reached out and scooped them both up into his arms, moving carefully to avoid bumping any of the other children.

Esmeraude took the hand of another very young child, a boy who was wearing a set of dinosaur pajamas. His hair was mussed from sleep and his eyes were wide as he watched everything around him.

"I think this is the last group for this town," Banānu said, his shimmering wings glistening as he settled at the front to lower the gangplank.

Esmeraude nodded. She wasn't sure what to make of the dream fairy. He certainly didn't look the same as Peruru or Poupelin. And he had been gone at the beginning of the exodus of children, to wherever Sailor Moon had sent the queen. Now he was working diligently, alongside the other fairies, and the help they had brought in. There were now several other fairies, all female, who hadn't said more than a word or two to the older teens, but who were all doting on the children.

"That's a good thing," Esmeraude said, moving toward the gangplank with the little boy. Several dozen children had scampered forward, following the female fairy, the moment it was lowered. She yawned as she walked down the wooden board and handed the boy over to one of the many officers. "He's one of the youngest," she explained. "I don't want him getting lost."

"Thank you," the man said in English.

"I'm rather sure this is our last trip. If there are any others someone will teleport them directly. I think we've gotten them all though."

"I have a list," the officer said. "We've been checking children off as they come, just asking their names. I think we've got pretty much all of them, but we will be sure in just a few minutes."

Esmeraude nodded and turned to look back up at the ship, where the last few children were walking down to the dock. Dimande came last, nodding his head. That was all the children on the ship then.

"You were right," the officer said at long last. "That is the last of them. According to my count there are none missing."

Esmeraude smiled. "Good. I'm glad. Good night then."

"What Sailor Jupiter said, is it true?"

Turning back, she looked at the man, unsure exactly what he was talking about. "I don't know what she said," Esmeraude admitted.

"She told us the one that did this isn't coming back."

"She isn't," Esmeraude promised. "She's been healed and given a second chance."

"But what if the healing didn't work?" he asked. "What if she's only pretending to be better?"

One of the female fairies floated over. She landed on Esmeraude's shoulder and made a little tinkling sound with her wings as she looked at the young man. "Badiane has been returned to childhood and placed in the care of the dream fairies until she can earn her wings. She will learn the right way this time as she grows into her new position. I promise you, she will never harm another."

"Th-thank you," the officer murmured.

"Sweet dreams," the fairy smiled, then disappeared back to the ship.

Esmeraude waved and followed her. She hadn't known that Badiane was set to become a dream fairy herself. Given that she had been trying to give the children good dreams, she supposed it was fitting in it's own way. And she had seen Akane for herself. She knew it was possible, though very difficult, to revert to a younger age. She wasn't exactly sure how Sailor Moon had done it, but it wasn't necessary to know.

Dimande yawned as he approached her. "I'm exhausted," he admitted. "I don't know how much I've got left."

She nodded. "I'm pretty sure we're among the last," she told him. "And that's a good thing because the sun is coming up." She wrapped her arms around his neck, laid her head on his chest, and closed her eyes, letting him support her weight.

"Do you want children someday?" Dimande asked. "Little ones like Mushi?"

"Of course," she murmured sleepily. "Someday." She felt him tighten his hold on her and kiss her temple, but sleep was overtaking her.

* * *

_***Usagi (Sailor Moon)'s POV***_

Carrying a little girl on one hip, and holding her older brother by the hand, Sailor Moon looked around. "Any more?" she asked.

"None," Tuxedo Kamen answered, moving to her side. "Fiore and the others had the last of them."

"Good. These little ones need sleep. Ready?" she asked. Her husband nodded and wrapped his arms around her, guiding the teleport. Most of the others were too tired to continue. Teleportation did take a lot of energy and they had been at it all night, switching out with those who were on the ships so that no one became too exhausted. The time in the darkness was brief, but she could tell it frightened both little ones, even though she had explained what to expect.

"Aika! Hiro!" came the anxious cry of a woman as they appeared in the arena. "My babies!"

Sailor Moon smiled as the two children went from sleepy to alert at the sound of their mother's voice. She guided them to the officer who glanced at the photo in his hand and nodded. She set the little ones on their feet and watched them hurry into the woman's arms.

"Mommy!" the boy shouted. "They saved us! They gotted us out of those thingies and the hero children told us not to be scareded so we wasn't!"

The woman nodded, holding her children tight. Looking up at Sailor Moon, tears streaming down her face, she mouthed the words, "thank you," and then buried her face between her children's heads and clung to them. "I was so worried," she sobbed.

"All of them are accounted for," she heard Officer Sato say. She turned and went to the woman's side. "You all must be exhausted," she added.

"We are," Tuxedo Kamen said, wrapping his arms around Sailor Moon's waist. She leaned back on him. "I think I could sleep for a week."

Sailor Moon didn't comment. She was tired herself, but she wasn't sure she would be able to sleep until she had a chance to peek in on all the children. The twins had gone back to the house a few minutes before and were probably already asleep. Most of the kids had returned earlier in the night.

The sun was already peeking up over the horizon. She was ready to go home.

* * *

_***Chibi-Mako (Chibi Jupiter)'s POV***_

"Where are we going?" Mako asked, looking up at the young version of her parents.

"Peruru has to go back home for a little while," young mommy said, her voice low as she helped Mako into her pants. "We're going to go say goodbye to him. He was worried he wouldn't get the chance."

"I don't want him to go," Chibi-Mako whined. She wanted him to stay and play with her.

"I'm sure you'll see him very soon," young daddy said, helping her into a jacket. He lifted her up into his arms and squeezed her tight. "Besides, you and the others are going to be going home soon yourselves. You wouldn't want him to stay here all alone would you?"

She shook her head. She didn't want him to be sad and lonely. "What about his brother?" she asked.

"He is going home too," young mommy said softly. "Now come on little one." She wrapped her arms around Mako and young daddy and then they were on a pretty beach. Chibi-Mako looked out over the ocean and saw the waves and the sun and birds in the air.

"Mako!" came a happy shout.

Young daddy put her down and Chibi-Mako raced over to Peruru and gave him a big hug. "I'm going to miss you," she cried, holding on to him.

"I'll be around," he whispered. "I'm going to protect you always." He smiled. "I am a Candy Fairy. I have to protect children's dreams, but I will always be with you, and very soon you'll see me again. I promise."

Chibi-Mako sniffled, but tried to smile at him. "You're my bestest friend," she explained.

"You're mine too," the boy said. "I want you to have something." He fluttered his wings, sending rainbow colors reflecting on the sand in the early morning light.

"What is it?" she asked, excited now.

Peruru handed over his glass flute, which was thin and long, with the end curled up into a loop. "This was my very first flute," he said. "If you ever need me, play a single note on the flute and I will find you. No matter where, no matter when. Okay?"

"Okay," Chibi-Mako sighed. She hugged him again, resting her head on his shoulder and reaching to touch his shimmering wings. "I love you Peruru," she whispered.

"I love you Mako. I will see you soon."

Young mommy came and picked Chibi-Mako up and they all waved as Peruru flew to where his brother floated over the water. She sniffled back her tears until they both disappeared, then turned and buried her face in her mother's shoulder.

"I miss him," she sobbed.

Young mommy started to hum a song she knew well and Chibi-Mako yawned and closed her eyes, feeling safe and warm. She snuggled closer and relaxed, knowing she was safe.


	9. Chapter 8

**Dedication: A Mother's and Father's Day Story**  
**Holiday Series: Book Five**  
**Chapter Eight**

* * *

_***Tentomushi (Sailor Ladybug)'s POV)***_

The house was full of noise and laughter. All the sounds were good ones. Dishes scraping, people talking, music playing. Luna and Artemis were in happy moods, both perched on the shoulders of their charges. Grandma Ikuko was singing under her breath as she washed the dishes. Everyone was smiling, full of excitement and relief. It was all over and everyone was safe again.

But Tentomushi wasn't smiling. She and the other girls were in their room, playing dress up with a bunch of clothes young mommy had brought in for them. She was currently dressed as a police officer, and she thought it fit her current mood. No, Tentomushi wasn't smiling. She was on guard.

Neo-Queen Serenity, her true mother, from the future, had given Mushi a warning. And Mushi had paid very close attention. She watched the others, knowing the time was coming, but unable to do anything. Mommy had said people wouldn't listen. Not that they were trying to be mean, but they thought the house was protected.

She knew otherwise.

"What do you want to wear next Heliodor?" Yuzuki asked.

The girl was very excited to have her new sister. Although, technically speaking they had been sisters for a thousand years, if Mushi went based on her own timeline. That didn't mean much however when their childhoods were nearly evenly divided between this time and Crystal Tokyo. They would all grow up together no matter what time they were in. It was a good thing too, because Yuzuki was her best friend.

"Maybe the purple princess dress," Heliodor murmured. "I can be Ariel from The Little Mermaid."

"Oh! I love Ariel," Zuki exclaimed. "And Merida! I like her too! I want to be Merida!" She turned around to the newest girls in the bunch. "Which ones do you like?"

"Fa Mulan," Angharad said instantly.

"Pocahontas," Zita answered, grinning.

"What about you Chibi-Mako?" the pink haired princess asked, twirling around in her blue dress. "Who would you want to be?"

"I always liked Moana," Mako said, sighing. "I like the way the island gets all pretty again."

"I like Elsa," Chibi-Usa said, looking at the other girls.

"I don't like it when the boy has to save the girl," Angharad said, "but sometimes it's nice."

Snow White made Mushi sad because she was in that glass coffin, which reminded her of when her mommy was in the crystal, or seeing all those kids in the dream pod. Aurora didn't do very much, but she sang really pretty and she was sweet. Jasmine was sort of cool because she fought for true love, and Tiana was funny and smart.

Mushi frowned. She still didn't know who she would choose. She always thought her mommy looked like Rapunzel, and she sort of had to be saved. She wasn't sure who she would choose. Maybe Ariel, because she had red hair and was brave, or Belle because she had a good heart, or Pocahontas because she was wise. She loved Fa Mulan because she did what no one thought she could do, and Merida because she had to be strong, and Moana because she wanted to do something for her people. She liked that Anna and Elsa sort of saved each other. She even liked Cinderella because she worked hard.

"If you were a disney princess who would you be Mushi?" her older sister asked.

The answer came to her quickly. "Anna, from Frozen," she answered. "She sort of saves her sister, and her sister sort of saves her, and even though she messes up a lot she learns from it."

"I like that," Chibi-Usa said, grinning. "I'll always save you."

"I'll always save you," Mushi replied, feeling happy.

"Me too!" all the rest of them chorused.

"Maybe we should ask to go to Tokyo Disney when we come back," Chibi-Usa said, looking around at the others. "It would be fun, and there is a whole bunch of stuff for the boys to do while we play pretend." She frowned. "It's not always much fun being a real princess."

Mushi nodded. "Mommy said it was worse when Serenity was princess on the Moon. Two hours a day, just to get dressed. And then another two to change for dinner. And she had no say in what she did, or who she talked to..." she trailed off.

"What's it like now?" Yuzuki asked.

"Well," Chibi-Usa started, "there are a lot of rule about what you can say in front of digtaries... and you have to be polite even when someone else is mean. And after school we have more classes so we can learn about other planets and their rules. And we have to wear dresses sometimes, and then we have self-defense class and stuff."

"Self-defense?" Heliodor asked. "Why?"

"Cause even though we're princesses, we still have sponsibilities," Mushi explained. "We are the future Senshi, so we have to be ready."

"Not to mention all the attempted kidnappings," Angharad muttered, sounding sad and angry.

"Who else was taken?" Heliodor asked, frowning.

Zita pointed to her sister. "My sister was taken by bad people but we gotted her back."

"I was taken once," Chibi-Usa added, "And Mushi was almost kidnapped by Dimande before he got good again."

"Wow. That;s scary," Yuzuki said, looking worried. "Maybe you should all stay here, with me and Takeo and Helios and Peruru."

Mushi shook her head. She knew what was coming. "It's not always safe here either."

From down the stairs someone called them all to lunch. Mushi sucked in a breath, grabbed Yuzuki, and shoved her into the closet. "Henshin!" she screamed.

The window shattered as a Youma came into the room. Yuzuki was beating on the closet door behind her and Mushi felt bad that she'd been so rough, but she was already transforming. "Keep it away from Yuzuki," she yelled. Then she sucked in a deep breath and screamed at the top of her lungs. Her own hair pieces, which mimicked those of her mother and sister, amplified the sound, making the green Youma cringe.

"Why is it here?" Angharad asked, pushing her little sister under the bed.

"It's made to kill Zuki," Chibi Moon said, throwing an attack. "Daddy!" she screamed.

"We need Uncle Haruki," Sailor Ladybug said. She knew he was the one who would destroy the Youma.

The remaining girls, now all transformed, focused all their attention on keeping the Youma away from Yuzuki. Little Zita came out from under the bed and stabbed the monster with something, making it cry out in pain, while her sister launched an attack so she could crawl back to safety.

The Youma let out it's vines, rushing to wrap around all of their throats. She felt one vine grip her arm and screamed again. Then Sun Knight was there and he shouted. The room got so bright she couldn't keep her eyes open. She closed them, thankful that he had come in time.

"Is everyone alright?" Sailor Moon asked from the doorway. "We're missing two! Where are Yuzuki and Zita?"

A sob came from the closet and the door opened. "Mushi pushed me in here," she said. "She saved me."

"And Angharad put me under the bed," Zita said, crawling out.

Mushi let go of her transformation and rushed to Yuzuki. "I'm so sorry I pushed you but I had to save you. I had to. Don't be mad!"

Yuzuki wrapped her arms around Mushi and squeezed tight. "I'm not mad. I'm happy you saved me!"

Sniffling, Mushi turned to finish her job. She swiped at the tears on her cheek. "Mommy said to 'mind you there is one more and it isn't safe," she said. She didn't like making Haruki look so sad. He just nodded, then he picked up Yuzuki and Heliodor and walked out of the room.

Young mommy let her henshin go and knelt in front of Mushi. "Did you know about this the whole time?" She nodded. "My poor baby." She was wrapped up in young mommy's arms and finally relaxed.

* * *

_***Setsuna (Sailor Pluto)'s POV***_

After Haruki explained what he had found in the girl's room, and what little Tentomushi had said, Setsuna collapsed back into a chair, clinging to both her girls. She didn't want to let them go, didn't want to send them into the future, but it felt like she had no choice.

"If we keep them together, send them to our future selves, they'll be safe," Haruki said, looking over at Agate, who they had called in because of his relationship with Heliodor.

"The trick then," Agate said, pacing back and forth, "is to make sure this third assassin Youma is destroyed before they come back. I doubt it will be easy to track it down, but it has to be done."

"Then that's what we'll do," Setsuna said, still holding the little ones tightly. She didn't want them to leave, but she would do anything to keep them safe.

"You mean I have to go?" Yuzuki asked, looking like she might cry again.

"I'm sorry baby, but I think so," she answered, barely holding in her tears. "But you'll still be with us in the future and as soon as it's safe to come back my future self will know."

"Okay," Zuki sniffled. She reached over and grabbed Heliodor's hand. "At least we'll be together," she whispered. Heliodor smiled at her, but she looked nervous.

"Don't worry girls. All the others will be going with you. You won't be alone. I promise." Haruki knelt down in front of them.

Both girls nodded, but they reached out to hug him. Then they hopped of Setsuna's lap and went to Agate, who was barely holding it together. Each of them grabbed one of his legs. "You'll be there too," Heliodor said. "And we can come back and see you."

The man nodded, bent down, and picked the girls up. "It will be okay," he said softly. "We will make it safe for you to come back."

Setsuna collapsed into Haruki's arms, watching the other three. It was hard letting Yuzuki go, having already fallen in love with her. She was their daughter now. And Heliodor was already so much her child too. It hurt. At least her future self would get some relief. She knew she would be in unrelenting pain and heartache missing the child.

Rei and Jadeite entered the room then. Takeo was held in Jadeite's arms and was clinging to him. "We made a decision," Rei said, her voice choked with sobs. "We want the kids to be together. We're sending Takeo into the future with the others." She broke down then, clinging to Jadeite and the little boy. "We have to keep him safe too."

The five adults in the room stared at one another. It occured to Setsuna that Usagi and Mamoru had been dealing with this pain for months and hadn't really said much about it. She hadn't really understood, but she did now. It was going to be the hardest thing she'd ever done, sending those girls away.

"The house is going to be so quiet," Rei murmured.

* * *

_***Koan (Fire Warrior)'s POV***_

Agate was a wreck. He was sitting in the garden, his eyes on the tire swing where only a few hours before he had been pushing little Heliodor. Koan, who was hovering over him protectively as he dealt with his grief, watched as a single tear fell, unnoticed by the man.

It took everything she had in her to step forward and intrude. "Agate," she said, keeping her voice soft. "You will see her again soon. Both of them. You and I will help find this last Youma, and then the girls can come for a visit. I bet your future self is hugging her right now," she added. "It's going to be alright."

She watched as determination came over his face. He stood, turning to face her fully. "You're right," he said. "We have to make sure little Yuzuki is safe. Those assassin Youma never should have been made."

She knew he had turned a corner. They walked back into the house and made their way to the meeting room where Setsuna and Haruki were pouring over papers. She saw maps and old scans. Luna was talking about the energy signature that had been detected just before the attack that morning, while Artemis was foused on a computer monitor, mumbling under his breath about the red moon.

Koan didn't understand much of what was being said, but she knew Agate was her soulmate. She knew he loved those girls. So she would do what it would take to make the world a safer place for them. She settled into a chair and began pulling the maps closer. Maps she knew. The others could focus on the science.

* * *

_***Nephrite (East Knight)'s POV***_

Poking his head into Kenji's office, Nephrite hurried to sit next to the older man. The instructions had been quite clear. If they became intimate with their soulmate it was time to plan a wedding. He waited for Kenji to hang up the phone and blurted it all out in a rush.

"Makoto and I are getting married the first day of August vacation, stuff happened when we were really upset and worried about the kids, and I wanted to tell you yesterday, but with the attack I didn't have time and you were really busy and I love Makoto and I want to marry her so please can I have your permission."

"Yes," the older man said simply, then grinned. "Glad you came and told me."

Nephrite gulped, thankful he wasn't keeping it a secret like Haruki.

* * *

_***Minako (Sailor Venus)'s POV***_

Minako dashed through the house, her hands clutching the paper bag she had hidden against her side as she made her way into the bathroom closest to the garden. She backed up against the door, panting. It was difficult to avoid projecting her thoughts to Kunzite, but she had to know first. She'd thought of talking to Usagi about it, since the other girl had been giving her strange looks ever since they'd returned from Crystal Tokyo, but this moment was hers and hers alone.

Excitement and worry settled into her. She was still very young, and she knew if it was true then it would change her life forever. On the other hand, she could just imagine holding a little baby that was from her and Kunzite both.

She locked the door, then moved to the sink where she opened the bag and spilled the contents. There were four different tests. She'd wanted to be certain after all. She wasn't sure if she was right, but she was hoping. And if she was right, then it had probably happened on her wedding day. She giggled at the memory of being late to her own wedding, then opened the boxes and pulled out the instructions.

One of the kits came with a little plastic cup, and she decided that was the easiest way to go about it. Instead of trying to pee on four different sticks, she could just hold them in the cup for a few seconds. It took several minutes, but finally she had the cup thrown away and the four tests lined up on the counter while she stared at the time on her communicator.

The first test in the row had one line already and as she watched a second one formed, lighter than the first, but still plainly visible. By the time she looked at the second test she could see a plus sign in the little window. The third was similar to the first, but the second line was blue, also a positive. The final test was digital and would show her the word. She crossed her fingers behind her back, leaned over and looked, then let out a loud whoop as the word 'pregnant' flashed on the screen.

Aino Minako and Ine Kunzite were going to have a baby!

It hit her all at once. She was pregnant. She was going to be a mom. She couldn't even get to school on time and a tiny helpless human being would soon be relying on her for everything. Tears coursed down her cheeks as the scariest part came to mind. She didn't know if, or when, a new enemy would appear. What if she had to fight while she was pregnant? What if something happened to her baby.

Sinking to the floor, Minako drew up her knees and wrapped her arms around them protecting her belly and the fragile life that had started inside. She sobbed in fear. Would her baby be okay? Would she be a good mother? Would Kunzite be happy or angry?

Someone was pounding on the door, but she couldn't make herself move. Then with a bright flash Kunzite appeared beside her and hollered out, "I've got her!" He bent and lifted Minako into his arms, pulling her tightly against his chest. She broke down weeping on his shoulder. "What's the matter?" he asked, sitting on the edge of the tub.

Minako couldn't speak. She lifted her hand and pointed to the tests lined up on the counter, unsure what his reaction would be. Sniffling, she looked up at him and watched as his silvery-blue eyes took in the line of tests and then came back to meet her gaze.

"Are you?" he asked, his voice strained.

She only nodded. Then he let out a loud cry and stood with her in his arms, swinging her around happily. She wrapped her hands behind his neck to hold on. Then he was kissing her until she couldn't breathe. It took a few minutes for him to calm himself.

"Why are you feeling sad and scared?" he asked. "This is a wonderful thing!"

"It is," she admitted, smiling tremulously up at him. "But then I got scared thinking about new enemies, or worrying I might not be good at it, and thinking about school..." she trailed off.

"Well you won't be fighting for a while," Kunzite said softly. "But you can use that time to enhance your skills as a leader, learn some of the technology that Artemis is always trying to teach us, and to get as far ahead as possible in school so you don't lose anything by taking time off when the baby comes. We'll work it out. I promise."

Feeling better, she kissed him. "I love you Kun," she whispered.

"I love you too Mina," he said, and gave her another soul-searing kiss. "Now, who should we tell first? I have a feeling Usagi's figured it out. She's on the other side of the bathroom door."

Minako giggled. "I think she's known since it happened," she admitted. "Or at least since we came back from Crystal Tokyo. She's been watching me, and a couple times she got between me and those Bon-Bon babies when we were fighting the other night."

Kunzite grinned and moved to the door, swinging it open to see a bouncing Usagi on the other side, her eyes streaming happy tears as she grinned from ear to ear. "First hugs?" she questioned.

* * *

_***Haruki (Sun Knight)'s POV***_

"Uncle?" Haruki gulped as Kenji looked up. He felt extremely nervous and wasn't sure he could make it through what he wanted to say.

"What is it?" his uncle patted the seat of the chair next to his desk. Fidgeting nervously, he made his way over and sat in the chair.

"Our vacation is approaching," Haruki said, looking nervous. He gulped again, and focused. "I would like to marry Setsuna on the evening before vacation starts. We want to go out and find the last assassin Youma."

Kenji was silent for several long minutes. "I'm glad you finally came to me," he said, a hint of a glare hidden behind his placid expression. "I already told you that if you chose to be intimate with your soulmate you were to come to me immediately. And yet you waited until now. Why is that?"

Haruki crossed and uncrossed his legs and shifted in the chair, looking at the floor. "Setsuna said no," he mumbled.

"What was that?" Kenji asked, disbelieving.

"Setsuna wanted to wait," Haruki answered, finally looking up. "She didn't want our wedding to be forced. She wanted it to be our choice. But now... we miss Yuzuki," he said simply. "We want her to come home."

His uncle was quiet for a long time, and Haruki couldn't bear to meet his eyes. He waited, his breath coming in rapid gasps, hoping Kenji didn't hate him. He was trying to please Setsuna, but he also wanted his uncle's respect. He knew he had disobeyed, but he'd hoped the man would understand.

Kenji sighed. "You have my permission of course," he said. Then he reached out and lifted Haruki's chin. "You also have my permission to make your search, but you will both return the Friday before school resumes whether you've succeeded or not. Is that clear?"

"Yes Uncle Kenji," Haruki said, nodding his head rapidly. "Gomen nasai, and arigatou."

Kenji sighed again. "I know what it is to try and make a woman happy," he said after a long moment. "But next time something happens, you come and speak to me. I'm not unreasonable."

"Okay. Gomen," Haruki whispered.

"I miss Yuzuki and Takeo too," Kenji muttered. "I miss all of those kids."

* * *

_***Ikuko's POV***_

"Four couples going on honeymoons that aren't exactly normal," Ikuko muttered, throwing more flour into the bowl. She continued to grumble, "opening cosmetic stores, and strange vacation to learn about their skills instead of just having fun!" She shook her head in frustration.

"What are you upset about?" Kenji asked, nabbing a cookie from the jar on the counter.

"What is wrong with these kids?" Ikuko huffed, throwing her hands, and a bunch of flour, into the air. "They are teenagers! They're supposed to sneak out to get drunk, not fight monsters! They're supposed to be irrisponsible and wild and loud. Not opening stores to provide their own income, or going on quests to learn their craft, or finding summer jobs, or going in search of monsters!"

Kenji laughed. "Let me get this straight. You're upset because the kids are being responsible?"

Ikuko growled at him and moved closer, poking him hard in the chest. "Don't you laugh at me mister!" she yelled. "All I'm saying is that I want the kids to have fun!"

Holding up his hands in defeat, Kenji backed up a step. "I understand," he said. "Maybe I even agree a little," he added. "But I'm proud of the kids. Can you just imagine what it would be like if they didn't have us to help them? I'm just glad we know the truth now and can be there for them and let them be young and carefree whenever possible."

Ikuko sighed and rested her cheek against her husband's chest. "I just miss some of the old times," she said. "Did you know what Usagi and Mamoru are planning for their 'honeymoon?'"

"Yes. I think it's a good idea. And they do intend to have some fun. Besides, he wants to know more about himself. He wants to have a connection to them. It's not a bad thing."

"I know," Ikuko admitted, snuggling closer. She was secretly delighted that she was covering him with flour. "Hey, at least I get to bake Makoto's wedding cake. I can't believe I got her to agree!"

"I can't wait to taste it," Kenji said, sneaking another cookie when he thought she wasn't watching.

She smiled at him and turned back to her baking. "Don't ruin your appetite," she warned.


	10. Epilogue

**Author's Note:** Just so you're aware, I actually wrote most of this epilogue months ago, before my life got so complicated. The sequel was planned for August Vacation, and even though it will be late, I think there's a chance I might still write it for that time period. I think it will be just as important, because it gives everyone a chance to see our heroes in more ordinary ways while still providing danger and drama. Woot!

* * *

**Dedication: A Mother's and Father's Day Story**  
**Holiday Series: Book Five**  
**Epilogue**

* * *

_***Future Setsuna's POV***_

A shiver of excitement went up Setsuna's spine as she walked back into the throne room. She met Neo-Queen Serenity's eyes and smiled. "They're coming!" she announced.

Everyone in the room pulled back, hauling the children out of the way. In the center of the floor a bright light appeared and inside it was a circle of children. They all breathed a heavy sigh as the bubble around them disappeared.

"That wasn't as scary," little Mako said, smiling as she looked around. "Mommy! Daddy!" she raced to where Nephrite stood in the corner.

Angharad and Zita ran to Shingo and Hotaru and their siblings, both bouncing up and down as they explained everything that had happened to them in rapid speech, their voices high pitched with excitement.

Ami raced across the room and snatched Ezekiel into her arms, spinning him around. Zoicite wasn't far behind and lifted them both up, holding them tightly.

Asahi walked straight to his father and bowed low, looking worried. Instead of yelling however, Kunzite pulled the boy into his arms and hugged him close. "I would have done the same for your mother," was all he said. There would be no punishment.

Takeo grinned up at Rei and Jadeite who instantly began tickling him. His laughter rang through the room and made everything seem brighter. Their voices pealed happily as they chattered together.

The King and Queen both dropped to their knees and opened their arms for the twins and Mushi, who skipped towards them, smiling broadly. "We did it!" Chibi-Usa cried out.

But for Setsuna and Haruki, who had also dropped to their knees, the only sight they were truly interested in was their daughters. They spread their arms wide and the little girls both collapsed against them. She felt Haruki's big strong arms encircling her and both the girls, and then there was the patter of feet as their brothers and sisters raced to them, crying and laughing at the same time.

Helidor was rescued. She was safe. She and Yuzuki were home.

"Happy Mother's Day," Yuzuki said.

"Happy Father's Day," Heliodor cried.

Setsuna just held her children and wept happy tears. She waved a hand to Agate, who was watching from a distance, calling him to join their circle. He had spent over a year guarding Heliodor, and that was after trying to keep her safe in the Negaverse. He deserved to be part of their family. She watched as he knelt down beside Haruki and her husband passed Heliodor into his arms. The little girl cried out happily and hugged him close.

Sniffling herself, Setsuna looked on the scene and sighed in relief. Her family was whole again. There would still be times when the girls went into the past, and times when they might be in danger here in Crystal Tokyo, but she vowed they would always know how loved they were.

* * *

**Secondary Author's Note:** There you have it... the epilogue for book five. Woot! I know it took me a VERY long time to get this out to you, and that book six is very late... but at least it's finished and I can get cracking on another story.

Now here's my big question... I already know the plan for August Vacation (which is when students in Japan have their summer break) and that is set in stone, without the drama of the known enemies however... except one pesky one. Which leads me to the big question... What enemy would YOU like to see next? Review, or message me, the answer and I'll see what I can do!


End file.
